


Two plus six plus five equals family

by SilentRain91



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Astra never died, Eventual Romance, Everyone else knows, F/F, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kara and Lena are in love with each other but they don't know it yet, Kid Fic, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Lena wants to hug her children, Mon-El is long dead, Oops, Protective Lena Luthor, Sappy, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, author may frequently forget about the dogs, because I say so, nobody misses him, supercorp children, the children are traumatized, warning for mentions of death and scars and stuff that's morbid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-23 02:44:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 56,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12496840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentRain91/pseuds/SilentRain91
Summary: Ten years after the Daxamites perished, Cadmus has been dismantled and Lillian Luthor is serving a lifetime sentence. Lena goes to an old facility of Cadmus, the last one she needs to shut down and destroy the weapons and other things that were designed there. What she finds, however, are not weapons, but children. The children are caged and appear to be made out of the DNA of a Luthor and a Super.(Note: Do NOT copy any of my fanfics EVER. I don't give permission and it's very disrespectful towards all the time and effort I pour into writing fanfics. I don't write fanfics just to have someone else copy paste it. Seriously, stop stealing!)





	1. Chapter 1

Daniel, Lena’s personal driver, opened the door of the limousine for her, after having announced they had arrived. She tugged at her scarf, protecting herself from the biting cold of the January air. This was the last facility from Cadmus she came to shut down. Of course none of the facilities were operative any longer, but she felt more at ease closing them down and destroying whatever was left in them, in case her mother would ever escape prison and attempt to finish her work.

It was dark out, given it was a little past seven and the night had fallen. She knew her best friend, Kara, would tell her to go home and deal with it later because she worked too much as it was, but her stubborn nature had gravitated her towards not delaying what needed to be done.

Her friendship with Kara had been on the rocks after the Daxamites perished ten years ago, including Mon-El, Kara’s boyfriend. She had feared it may have never been restored, but instead it made their friendship stronger. They both suffered losses. She had been a little taken aback when Kara revealed nine years ago that she was Supergirl, even though she should have noticed.

“Thank you, Daniel,” Lena said politely to her driver when he handed her a flashlight. “You can wait here, I won’t take long.”

“Yes, Miss Luthor,” Daniel replied with a curt nod.

Lena’s heels clicked on the concrete as she made her way to the facility. The building looked old and was overgrown with plants and weed. She held the keycard next to the door, sighing when it didn’t immediately work. Once the door opened, she shone her flashlight into the pitch-black building.

After nothing more but one step, lights flickered on automatically. A shiver ran down her spine at the sight of operation tables, which reminded her of all the illegal experiments her mother conducted. Paperwork was scattered all over a desk, some of it written in Latin. She gathered the paperwork, deciding not to read through all of it right now. She’d take it with her and read it in the comfort of her loft.

A sudden loud wailing sound had her jumping up. She gripped her chest with one hand, slowly breathing out while she still held the flashlight clutched in her other hand. Flicking the flashlight off, she walked towards the sound, which appeared to be coming from behind a door.

The keycard gave her entrance as the door slid open. There was a sound of someone or something tapping against glass and the wailing stopped as quickly as it had started when lights switched on.

Lena gasped audibly and dropped the flashlight, no other sound left other than the flashlight clattering to the floor. In front of her, she saw two children locked up in cages made out of glass, while green lights shone down upon them. The first child was a boy, a young teenager if she had to guess. He was wearing a white nightgown of sorts and appeared extremely malnourished. A large scar was littered across his face. In the cage next to his was a little girl, who couldn’t be older than a toddler. The wetness on the child’s cheeks told her she’d been the one wailing.

There was a bad smell in this particular room and she wondered when those children had last bathed or been able to go to the toilet. Outside their cages, boards hung with words written on them. She froze when she read how they were created out of the DNA from her and Supergirl. Her frozen state didn’t last long when she realized she had to get those children out of those cages, but as she neared the cages, the children crawled to the furthest corner, cowering away.

Her heart lurched when she saw needles filled with green liquid in the room, placed neatly on a table. She tried to keep her heart from hammering as she couldn’t even imagine the awful things her mother must have been doing to those children. Her mother truly was the devil reincarnated. Someone had to be truly evil to harm children, innocent children.

She opened the cage of the boy first, holding her hands up as she slowly crouched down, keeping distance between them. “Hello, my name is Lena. I mean you no harm,” she said, voice soft. “What is your name?”

The boy barely met Lena’s eyes. “I am prisoner number seven, ma’am,” he answered before staring down at his feet.

Lena swallowed thickly, hating that these children were prisoners. “Number seven?” she asked, frowning. She had a bad feeling the boy didn’t even have a name, but if her mother created those children, they had probably never known anything other than this facility.

“Yes, ma’am,” the boy answered, remaining in the corner. “The first six were killed.”

Lena’s heart skipped a beat. “First six?” she asked, voice shaky. “How many of you are here, sweetie?” she asked, quickly glancing around the room.

The boy tilted his head at the endearment. “Six, ma’am,” he answered, flinching when Lena came closer.

“I won’t hurt you,” Lena promised, regretting she tried to move closer. “I’m going to take something out of my purse,” she warned while she reached into her purse. “It’s a candy bar,” she explained, to make sure he wouldn’t think she was reaching for a weapon.

The boy hesitantly stuck his hand out when Lena held the candy bar out. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said, dipping his head in respect.

“You may call me Lena if you’d like,” Lena said, smiling tentatively at the boy. “Would you like to have a name? I mean a real name, not a number.”

The boy clutched the candy bar in his hand, eyeing the little girl in the other cage. Slowly, he nodded.

“How does Logan sound?” Lena suggested. “Is that a name you’d like?”

Again, the boy nodded.

“Okay, Logan it is,” Lena said, offering him a genuine smile. “Can you come out of this cage and show me the other children?” she asked, getting out of the cage first so he wouldn’t have to walk past her. “Something tells me you’re saving that candy bar for her,” she said, pointing at the little girl before unlocking her cage.

Logan took thirteen minutes to walk out of his cage and only a second to rush into the cage of the little girl, lift her up and shield her from Lena.

“How about we name her Lizzie?” Lena suggested, her smile not wavering. She didn’t know how to interact with children, but she was desperate not to scare them more than they already were. “Is that alright with you, Logan?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Logan answered, handing the candy bar to the little girl.

Lena had a sinking feeling the boy would pretty much agree to whatever she said. She assumed he wasn’t allowed to disagree or disobey, even though she tried to give him a choice. “Let’s go find the other children, shall we?” she asked sweetly, gesturing at Logan to lead the way.

Logan walked backwards, not once turning his back on Lena.

Lena could only hope the children wouldn’t find a reason to attack once she’d free them all, considering they must have powers, otherwise they wouldn’t have had kryptonite emitters in their cages. Although given the weakened wounded state they were in, they might not be able to.

Logan led Lena into another room, where four more children were caged.

Lena opened each cage. The six children all had light brown hair and greenish blue eyes, a perfect mix between Kara and her. Reading through a few documents, she learned the eldest was twelve and the youngest was only two.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara sat on her couch, smiling while she watched Imagine Me & You. She’d watched it a hundred times with her sister in the past, but those days were over now that Alex lived in Spain with her wife, Maggie, and their daughter, Jamie.

She sighed as she scooped a mouthful of chocolate fudge ice cream into her mouth. Her sister moved to Spain five years ago, shortly after her niece was born. It hadn’t been easy, but she wanted Alex to be happy and go live her life. Of course whenever she could, she’d fly to Spain to pay her a visit.

Her eyes were glued to the scene where Luce wrapped her arms around Rachel, even though she’d seen it countless of times, it made her melt all over again each time. She dropped her spoon, groaning when her phone rung.

“Seriously?” she sighed loudly. “It was just getting good,” she groaned, picking her phone up from her coffee table.

Her demeanor changed completely from irritation to excitement when she saw it was Lena who was calling her. “Hey, Lee,” she chirped into her phone.

_“Hello, El.”_

Lena’s voice sounded shaken and far less happy than usual, Kara noticed. El was a nickname only her best friend called her by, it was a wink at her real last name. “What’s wrong?” she asked, immediately guarded while she put her tub of ice cream down.

Throughout the phone call, she was changing into her suit, ditching her comfortable pajamas. She frowned when Lena gave her a location and asked her to bring food, telling her she found something that needed her attention.

Hanging up, she jumped out of her window and shot up into the sky. On her way to the location, she picked up food. She’d have thought it was a dinner invitation if Lena hadn’t sounded so concerned. With enough food to feed four people, she reached the building and touched down.

“Wait,” Lena said, holding her hands out as she walked up to Kara. “I need to explain first.”

Kara’s eyebrows creased together when she heard six heartbeats inside the building. “Okay,” she replied, clicking her jaw, prepared to fight.

“There is no easy way to say this,” Lena whispered, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. “I was about to close this facility when I stumbled upon one of my mother’s experiments. It turns out my mother created children, using DNA from you and me.”

“Oh Rao,” Kara whispered, eyes going round. “Your mother…created children… with our DNA?” she asked, pointing between Lena and herself.

Lena sucked her lips into her mouth and nodded. “I am as shocked as you are,” she said, still processing the news herself. “There are six of them and they were held as prisoners. I called you because you’re my best friend and technically, we are their parents, which makes them our responsibility. Not that I want to force you to help. No, I’m asking for your help because I don’t know how to do this without you.”

Kara felt her head spinning at the information while Lena continued, explaining the children were severely underfed. “The DEO has beds, we can take them there for the night until we find a better solution,” she suggested, knowing her apartment was far too small and even though Lena’s loft was bigger, it couldn’t fit six children.

Lena was a little perplexed by the suggestion. “You want to take the children away from the cages here only to lock them up in the cages at the DEO?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She’d only found out about the children an hour ago and already felt the urge to protect them.

“The DEO has beds where they can sleep,” Kara answered, explaining. “Soft beds.”

“Which are in cages,” Lena added knowingly.

“Yes,” Kara admitted, cringing. “But it would only be for one night and this way they could be examined to see which wounds they sustained. We can heal them with yellow lamps.”

Lena nodded her agreement. “I’ll buy a house tomorrow,” she said, glad that she had enough money to be able to buy a house that fast. “I have to warn you, the children are very frightened and have never been outside of this facility.”

Kara felt like she would at least partially understand because when she came to earth, many things were new for her as well. It wasn’t exactly the same as the situation the children were in, but it could be a start. She followed Lena into the facility with the food, her heart breaking when she saw six malnourished, wounded children who flinched away when she put the food near them.

“Children, this is Kara, my best friend,” Lena said, unsure how much the children would understand. She didn’t know if they understood the concept of friendship. “You’re allowed to eat,” she said, smiling encouragingly when the children didn’t seem to touch the food.

Kara wanted to hug the children when she saw how they only touched the food after Lena told them they could, but she refrained from doing so.

“This is Logan, he is twelve years old and therefore the eldest,” Lena said to Kara, introducing the boy she met first. “This is Larissa, the eldest girl, she is ten years old. Next we have Lorraine, she is eight and Lucius is seven, he is the youngest boy. This sweetie here is Lyra, she is five. Lastly, the youngest is Lizzie, she is two.”

It took everything Kara had in her not to cry. What those children must have been through was monstrous and inhumane. “You all have beautiful names,” she said to the children.

“She named us,” Lyra said, pointing at Lena.

“My apologies, ma’am,” Logan said stiffly to Kara, resting a hand on Lyra’s shoulder. “Number eleven shall not speak without being asked again.”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Kara replied gently, frowning at Lena because of the number, although the fact that Lena named them made it click that they mustn’t have had names before. “You don’t have to be afraid to speak and you don’t have to apologize.”

“My friend knows a place where you can all wash up, eat some more and sleep on a soft mattress,” Lena said to the children. “Would it be okay if we take you there? It’s your choice.”

Logan began to sweat visibly, his mouth opening and closing like a fish trying to breathe on land while the other children stared at him.

Kara’s jaw dropped when Logan fainted and she was just on time to catch the boy before he’d fall onto the floor. Meanwhile Lena’s face was paling and the other children went to hide under the table. This wasn’t going to be easy and they were going to need more help.

She gently lowered Logan, careful he wouldn’t bump his head, before fishing her phone out of her boot. Her sister’s phone number was on her speed dial and it only took two rings for her to pick up.

_“Hello?”_

Alex sounded groggily and sleep laden, at which point Kara realized it was the middle of the night in Spain. “Oh Rao, Alex, I’m so sorry, I forgot how late it is over there,” she said, biting her lip.

 _“It is okay, Kara,”_ Alex sighed. There was some rustling of sheets as Alex sat up. _“What’s wrong?”_

“There is a um… situation and I need your help,” Kara answered, keeping her voice down to avoid waking Maggie as well. “Could you maybe possibly come back to National City with Maggie for a while?”

 _“Mama, ¿a quien estas llamando?”_ ( _Mama, who are you calling?_ ) Jamie asked.

 _“Vuelve a la cama, cariño,” (Go back to bed, sweetie)_ Alex whispered to Jamie. _“You’ll have to give me a bit more than that, Kara,”_ she sighed into the phone.

“Right, okay,” Kara replied, swallowing. “So um…I told you Lena has been closing Cadmus’ facilities and tonight she went to the last one where she discovered six children. They were made with her DNA and mine and now we’re going to take care – did you just faint?”

 _“Hey, little Danvers,”_ Maggie rasped. _“Care to explain why my wife fainted?”_

“Lee, catch,” Kara said, tossing her phone at Lena to let her explain instead. “Maggie wants to speak with you.”

Lena startled as she did her best to catch the phone. “Hello?” she asked, eyebrows shooting up. “Okay,” she breathed out, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Are you sitting down?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

It had cost Kara and Lena a lot of effort to convince the children to enter the limousine. Thankfully, it was dark out, so there was no sunlight to hurt their sensitive eyes. Getting them out of the car again proved to be challenging as well.

Lena was exhausted and worn, but she had to make sure the children would be looked after properly and get the warm beds Kara promised. Tomorrow she would make arrangements for a house.

Kara was relieved when J’onn told the agents to stand down, to keep them from pointing their weapons at the children.

“Hello, children,” J’onn said gruffly. He shape shifted into his natural form, to show them he was an alien. “Bring them to the medical bay,” he instructed his people.

“No,” Lena said abruptly, moving to stand in front of the children. “Let Kara and me take them there, they don’t like being touched.”

Kara wondered if Lena had any idea how maternal she was being and how much she underestimated herself. “Come, children,” she said softly, beckoning them. “We’re going to make you feel better and get you some more food.”

The children’s eyes roamed around as they meekly followed Kara and Lena like a bunch of sheep.

Kara hopped onto one of the tables in the medical bay when she saw the children freeze. “I come here all the time whenever I’m hurt,” she said, wiggling her legs back and forth, hoping to look carefree and comfortable.

Lena smiled while Kara explained everything to the children step by step, slowly easing them into allowing their wounds to be looked after. She couldn’t stop herself from picking Lizzie up when she cried. “Everything is going to be okay,” she shushed, bouncing slightly on her legs. “Nobody is going to hurt you here, sweetie,” she said, kissing the top of her head.

“What do you want from us, ma’am?” Logan asked Lena, keeping his head low.

“What do you mean, sweetheart?” Lena asked in turn, seeing the boy look up for a moment again at the term of endearment.

Logan dragged his eyes up. “The test,” he answered, shaking. “I do not understand what kind of test this is.”

“There’s no test,” Lena assured him, keeping her voice soft and calm. “Kara and I are going to look after the six of you,” she explained, rubbing Lizzie’s back, who seemed to be ceasing her cries. “Like parents would do,” she added thoughtfully.

“Can you hop onto this table for me, Logan?” Kara asked, patting a table. “We’re going to have a look at your scar and it might sting a little, but we’re not going to hurt you,” she explained while the doctor grabbed her materials to disinfect the children’s wounds. “I have a scar, too, but mine is smaller,” she said, pointing above her eye.

“Did someone hurt you, ma’am?” Lucius asked, peering up at Kara.

Lena failed to understand how her mother could have been so cold hearted to hurt these sweet little angels, who were so well mannered. She’d hardly met them and they’d already stolen a spot in her heart. The other spot had been steadily reserved for Kara.

“No,” Kara answered, crouching down so Lucius could touch her scar. “When I was younger I fell onto a coffee table made out of marble.”

“How come a coffee table is made out of marble and not coffee?” Lorraine asked, tilting her head to the side. “I do not understand, ma’am.”

Logan flinched away when the doctor approached him with a stethoscope.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Kara said to Logan, grasping the stethoscope to place it against her chest. “It’ll feel a bit cold, but it’s only to listen to your heart,” she explained. “Would you like to hear mine?” she asked, holding it out to Logan.

“Yes, ma’am,” Logan answered, quickly accepting it. His eyes widened when he could hear Kara’s heart. “I thought I would never hear another heartbeat again,” he whispered. “Madam weakened us.”

“We’re going to make all of you stronger again,” Kara said reassuringly. “Strong and healthy.”

The children all jumped up when someone landed near them.

“Aunt Astra,” Kara said, sighing. “Be careful, they are scared,” she warned in Kryptonese.

Astra counted the children. “My ears have not betrayed me,” she whispered, clasping her hands firmly behind her back. “Six children, six miracles,” she said, crouching down. “Hello, child,” she said, sticking her hand out to the eldest and tallest of them. “You must be Logan. I am Astra.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Logan answered, staring at Astra’s hand without shaking it. “I am Logan, number seven.”

“I hear something,” Kara said, frowning when she heard a strange squirming sound behind her aunt’s back.

Astra’s lips curled up into a smile. “I brought a present for the children,” she said to Kara while her eyes remained on the children. She revealed a golden retriever puppy from behind her back.

“Puppy,” Lyra said, smiling until Logan shook his head at her.

“Oh Rao,” Kara mumbled. “If J’onn asks, I have absolutely nothing to do with this.”

“He is for you,” Astra said, letting the puppy go. “A gift for all six of you,” she said, smiling when the puppy tackled Lyra.

Lena’s face was one of horror because the children were scared of everything and now Astra had let a dog loose. It was just a puppy, but still. She slowly breathed out when Lyra petted the puppy, who was licking her face.

“May we keep the dog, ma’am?” Logan asked, eyes shifting between the adults as if he didn’t know who to ask.

“Of course, sweetie,” Lena answered, not going to take the puppy away now that the children seemed to take a liking to him. “Look, Kara,” she whispered while she tried to move her lips as little as possible. “We’re going to take care of six children and a dog.”

“I shall help,” Astra cut in, without being asked. “These children are descendants of the house of El.”

Kara had a feeling her aunt would tuck the children under her suit and go take care of them all by herself if she could. Astra had flown to Spain far more than she had to visit Jamie. “I suppose extra help is welcome,” she said when Lena nodded. “Someone will have to walk the dog daily and that someone is not going to be me.”

Lena coughed. “You love dogs, Kara,” she reminded her best friend.

“I will definitely be walking him every day,” Kara corrected.

“Supergirl, General Astra, Miss Luthor,” J’onn said when he entered the medical bay. “Care to explain why there is a dog here?”

Kara took her cape off and threw it over the dog. “What dog?” she asked nonchalantly, making a face when the dog barked. “Not helping, buddy,” she said, sighing. She could have sworn she’d heard the faintest laugh from the children at her antics.

“It is a gift for the children,” Astra said, jutting her chin out.

“Get him out of here, this is not a petting zoo,” J’onn replied, displeased.

“May I have water, sir?” Lucius asked, petting the dog behind his ears. “I will do anything you want if our puppy may have some water.”

Astra took a step forward in J’onn’s direction. “If you upset these children I shall ditch you on Mars,” she warned in a quiet whisper.

“Mind your place, General,” J’onn grumbled, keeping his voice down. He cleared his throat. “Agent Lane, get some water for this dog.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Lucy replied, laughing lightly when J’onn glared at her. “You threatened him again, didn’t you?” she quietly asked Astra.

“Only a little,” Astra answered, her eyes following Lucy around.

Lucy returned with some water and placed it down for the puppy. “It’s sweet you got them a puppy,” she said, leaning into Astra’s side. “You’re such a softie, Star,” she whispered, kissing her cheek.

Lena rubbed tiredly at her temples. She’d have to find a house big enough to fit all of them. Considering Astra wanted to help, she presumed Lucy might be helping as well and Kara had already phoned her sister to come over to help as well. Surely, Alex would bring Maggie and Jamie along, which meant they’d have five guests. That, on top of the six children, Kara and her, meant she’d have to find a house for thirteen people. Oh, and one dog. Or two dogs, if Alex and Maggie would also decide to bring their dog, Gertrude, with them.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“I have to go pick my sister up from the airport,” Kara said, stretching her arms while she yawned. “Any progress on finding a house?” she asked silently.

“Yes, I believe I found one,” Lena answered in a whisper. She checked her phone with one hand, her other hand trapped under Lizzie’s body, who had curled up against her during the night and had refused to let go. “It is near the ocean and is meant to be a vacation house, which is why it is immediately available, given it is January,” she explained, showing it to Kara on her phone. “It has six bedrooms. This is the best I could find on such a short notice.”

“Six,” Kara whispered, nodding. “That’s not bad at all,” she whispered, although for thirteen people more would have been pleasant. “My sister and her wife will need a room and my aunt and Lucy will need one as well.”

Lena nodded, knowing two bedrooms needed to be reserved for their guests, which meant only four bedrooms remained. “I was wondering if we could share a bedroom?” she asked, regretting her words when Kara’s eyes widened. “With separate beds, of course,” she added quickly. “That way there will be three bedrooms left for the children.”

“Okay,” Kara agreed silently. “I’ll come back here with breakfast once I’ve picked my sister up and on your way to the house with the children, my aunt and I will prepare the house to make sure all the beds and everything is in place.”

Lena hummed and stroked Lizzie’s hair. “I never pictured myself as a mother,” she whispered, enchanted by the little girl who clung to her.

“You’re doing amazing so far,” Kara appraised, smiling before dashing out of the room, or well, cage.

The beds at the DEO weren’t bad, although she preferred her bed at home in her apartment. She hoped nothing major would happen in the city while she’d use her speed to get the beach house ready. It wasn’t the first time she’d use her powers for that purpose. When her sister moved to Spain, she flew a lot of her stuff to Spain, which really saved Alex a great deal on shipping expenses.

Clad in casual clothes, she approached Lena’s limousine where Daniel was waiting to drive her around. Sometimes she wondered how much he knew that he shouldn’t know, but he was a loyal honest man. Wrapping the scarf she didn’t need around her neck, she smiled at the driver as he opened the door for her.

“To the airport, please, Dan,” she said while she got in the limousine.

“As you wish, Kara,” Daniel replied, returning her smile.

Kara checked her text messages on her phone, sending one to her sister to let her know she was on her way to the airport. If there was no delay on Alex’s flight, she should be arriving in an hour, shortly before she’d arrive at the airport. She felt excited to see her sister, her sister in law and her niece again. It had been a couple of months since she last visited them in Spain, but that was because she was dealing with Cadmus.

Without her aunt’s help, they’d still have been running circles around Cadmus without ever catching them. The thought that Lillian went to prison almost a week ago made her sick, because it meant that during that time, nobody had been taking care of those children. Before the children had gone to bed, they’d all clutched their stomach in pain, their body not used to suddenly consuming quite a bit of food.

The portions they ate were portions human children would eat, but it was too much for them. They’d need to slowly adjust to eating normally again. It surprised her Lillian mixed her DNA with Lena’s. Of course she knew Lillian had her DNA fifteen years ago already, though she never could have guessed she’d use it to create children. She assumed Lillian used Lena’s instead of Lex’s, given Lex’s imprisonment and maybe it was also because Lena was the most youthful one of the Luthors.

At age thirty-six, she didn’t expect she’d suddenly become a mother. Lena, who was thirty-four, clearly hadn’t expected it either. Despite her age, she looked as if she was in her twenties, but that was thanks to her Kryptonian genes. Surprisingly, her best friend appeared as if she hadn’t aged in the last ten years. She remembered a time, a year ago, when she’d jokingly asked Lena if she was a vampire.

The airport was annoyingly crowded with people who were going home or returning home, now that the holidays had passed. The weather bordered on freezing, but there was no snow.

“Kara!” Alex shouted, waving her arms up in the air.

Kara smiled and ran up to her sister, keeping her speed under control. “I missed you, Alex,” she said, engulfing her sister in a hug. “Maggie, it’s so good to see you,” she said, hugging her next.

“It’s good to see you, too, little Danvers,” Maggie replied, patting Kara’s back.

“Auntie Kara,” Jamie said, her English sounding slightly broken.

“Hey, sweetiepie,” Kara replied, smiling brightly while she lifted Jamie up. “Look at how big you’ve gotten,” she said, placing her niece on her hip.

“Mama said I grew four inches,” Jamie announced happily, sticking four fingers out.

“Whoa four inches,” Kara whispered, feigning a gasp. “And I thought I shrunk, phew,” she said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. “This is a relief.”

Jamie giggled and snapped her head around when Gertrude barked. “¿Quieres un regalo? Ven aquí, chica,” ( _Do you want a treat? Come here, girl_ ) she said to her dog, reaching in her pocket.

“Oh, this reminds me, there will be another dog in the house,” Kara said to Alex and Maggie. “Astra surprised the children with a puppy and guess what we named him?”

“Oh god, what now?” Alex asked, sighing. “Don’t tell me you named him cupcake or some other type of food.”

Kara smiled and shook her head. “We named him Krypto,” she answered, walking towards the exit. “I suggested it and the children seemed to like it, so it stuck, although they pretty much agree to anything.”

“Sure, why don’t you go ahead with our daughter,” Maggie mumbled. “We’re fine carrying the bags,” she said, laughing when Kara spun around to help with the luggage.

“Lena bought a beach house,” Kara shared as she carried two suitcases with one hand while holding Jamie in her arms with the other. “One bedroom is reserved for you two and I guess we could try to let Jamie sleep with the children, once we know how we’ll divide them because we only have three bedrooms for the children, so it’ll be two children in each room and three in one of them if Jamie will share with them. Maybe she can share with the youngest two, Lizzie and Lyra, they’re two and five.”

“Yeah, that can work,” Alex replied, barely getting a word in between her sister’s rambling.

“And good news, Astra and Lucy will be living with us as well,” Kara said, loading the luggage into the limousine.

“Great,” Alex muttered. “I get to live with the woman I almost killed fifteen years ago. I bet she still hates me.”

“My aunt doesn’t hate you, Alex,” Kara replied, sighing. “She knows she was wrong all those years ago and that you did what needed to be done. Astra loves our family, especially the children. I mean come on she’s been visiting Jamie more than I have.”

“Usually when I’m at work,” Alex pointed out. “I’ve hardly seen her and still, living with her is completely different from seeing her.”

“It’ll be fine, babe,” Maggie said, smiling at her wife. “Astra is a reasonable woman who redeemed herself.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena rose up from the bed when Lizzie woke up. Much like it had been all night long, the little girl refused to let go of her, apparently seeking comfort. It must have been Lizzie’s young age that made her fluctuate so rapidly from cowering away to clinging to her ever since she hugged her to comfort her. The fact that this child, just like the other five, was actually hers was something she hadn’t really processed yet.

It was nearing eight am and normally, she’d be in her office, long buried in work. This time, she’d sent her secretary an email to inform her she was taking a week off, as a vacation. It would be irresponsible if she’d leave those children in favor of going to her office when everything was brand new to them. If she wanted to be a good parent to them, she had to be there for them.

“No,” Lizzie whimpered when Lena tried to untangle her fingers from around her neck.

“Okay, sweetie,” Lena whispered, caressing Lizzie’s back. “I’ll carry you,” she said, although a small break would have been welcome. The youngest child certainly wasn’t heavy, but if she carried something long enough it was bound to become heavy.

“Good morning, Miss Luthor,” Lucy said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes, and you may call me Lena,” Lena answered, approaching the agent. “Given you’ll be living in my house, it only seems right if you address me by my name rather than in a formal way.”

“Sure, makes sense,” Lucy replied, handing Lena a cup of coffee. “You can call me Luce.”

“Heyyy, why is she getting coffee?”

“You’re too jittery to be drinking coffee, Winn,” Lucy answered, grinning. “He’s beyond nervous about those kids,” she said to Lena.

“They’re not just children,” Winn objected. “I me-mean, uh,” he stuttered when Lena raised an eyebrow at him. “The-they… po-owers,” he explained, gesturing at himself. “I’m a breakable human.”

“Gather yourself, Mister Schott,” J’onn said sternly. “Those children are a lot more frightened of you than you are of them.”

“I do not understand this human,” Astra commented, glancing at Winn. “He fears even his own shadow.”

“Pfft, what,” Winn replied, laughing nervously while he shifted in his chair. “I helped fight battles before, I’m not scared.”

“Maybe we’d consider believing you if you’d stop shaking like a leaf,” Lucy snickered. “Poor Winnepooh,” she said, blowing over her steaming cup of coffee.

“You don’t have to call me Winnepooh just because Harley does,” Winn said, sighing. “She’s always teasing me.”

“Yeah, because she likes you, obviously,” Lucy replied, shaking her head. “Harley and Ivy both adore you.”

“I remember Ivy,” Lena said, smiling at the familiar name. “She and I dated briefly in college, though it did not last because she accused me of eating plants.”

“She gets a little whacked about her plants,” Lucy commented. “Harley suits her perfectly. She’s about as whacky as they come. No offense to her though, she’s a fun chick.”

Lena took a few sips from her coffee before putting it down. “I am going to see if the other children are awake,” she said, excusing herself from the others.

“I checked up on your children earlier,” Astra said to Lena while she joined her.

Lena shuddered, not used to the children being called hers, even though they were. “Oh, and were they awake?” she asked when Astra didn’t automatically continue. Maybe the woman paused when her heart rate changed.

“They are hiding under their beds,” Astra answered, voice tinged with sadness. “I believe they slept on the floor, though they did take the blankets.”

Lena sighed and nodded, okay, baby steps. She’d rather have them sleep in a bed, but if they took the blankets it was a start. “I feel like I’m in over my head,” she confessed, whispering.

“It is normal for parents to feel such things,” Astra replied quietly, caressing Lizzie’s cheek with the back of her index finger, smiling when the little girl hid her face in Lena’s sweater. “You shall have help, gentle one.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Kara walked into the DEO with a large box of baked goods for Lena and the children. Alex, Maggie and Jamie followed her and when she neared the children, she saw they were no longer wearing those strange white nightgowns.

“Ah, Kara is here with breakfast,” Lena said to the children, just barely deciding against clapping her hands together. “Astra brought clothes for them,” she explained upon seeing Kara’s puzzled look.

“Alexandra,” Astra said stiffly, eying Alex.

Alex sighed at the use of her full name. “Astra,” she replied, equally stiff.

Instead of looking like patients out of a nightmare hospital, the children now looked like warriors. “All black, seriously?” Kara asked her aunt, shaking her head. “Anyway,” she said, clearing her throat. “Children, this is my sister, Alex, her wife, Maggie and their daughter, Jamie.”

“Hola, como estas?” _(Hello, how are you?)_ Jamie asked the children with a sweet smile.

“Oh, sweetie,” Kara said to Jamie. “I don’t think-”

“No tan bueno,” _(Not that good)_ Logan answered. “Y usted, Señorita?” _(And you, Miss?)_

“You speak Spanish?” Kara asked Logan, unable to hide her surprise.

“Yes, ma’am,” Logan answered, nodding. “We speak many languages.”

“So these children are yours and Lena’s?” Maggie asked Kara, gesturing at the six children.

“Biologically, yes,” Kara answered, sighing at the awkward situation.

“They are ours,” Lena confirmed. She never thought she’d be raising children with her best friend.

Kara properly introduced each child to her sister and Maggie so they’d know who was who. “I’m going to go get the house ready with Astra,” she said, squeezing Lena’s hand lightly. “I’ll see you soon.”

Lena nodded and smiled, squeezing Kara’s hand back. “Fly safely,” she said, watching her best friend take off.

“Hmm,” Alex hummed, observing Lena who couldn’t get Lizzie to let go of her legs. “You and my sister have six children. That’s interesting.”

“It’s a surprise to all of us,” Lena replied, frowning at Alex. “I would take care of them myself if I could, but I have to admit I can’t handle taking care of six children on my own.”

“Kara wouldn’t leave this to you anyway,” Alex said, knowing her sister. “I mean, you know how she is, of course she’ll help.”

Lena knew it wasn’t a stab about her being a Luthor, she knew Alex was merely sharing a fact. “Kara has a good heart and she’s a loyal friend,” she replied, thankful to have such a sunshine in her life.

“I heard about the way the rooms are going to be divided,” Maggie said to Lena. “You’re going to share a room with Kara, hm?”

“Yes, the space we have is limited,” Lena replied, observing Maggie who shared a look with Alex. “Kara and I are friends,” she added for good measure.

“Oh yeah, I get that,” Maggie said, grinning. “Alex was my friend, too.”

The children stared at Jamie when she took food without asking, their eyes following her as she walked over to Maggie, who ruffled her hair and smiled down at her.

“The… my children, are not used to affection,” Lena said to Alex and Maggie. “Though I believe Lizzie is getting the hang of it,” she chuckled, glancing down at Lizzie who clung to her legs. “You are allowed to eat if you are hungry,” she said to the children, smiling as she gestured at the food.

Lucius grasped a doughnut and went to hide under the bed to eat it.

Jamie kneeled down and looked under the bed. “Peekaboo,” she said, smiling as she crawled a bit closer. “Vas a salir?” _(Are you going to come out?)_ she asked, wriggling half of her body under the bed. “Mama, el niño no saldrá.” _(Mama, the boy won’t come out)_ she said to Alex.

Before Alex had the chance to respond, Lucius hurried to get from underneath the bed, dipping his head at her. She grasped her wife’s upper arm to steady herself and to avoid crying for those children.

“Number ten shall be more obedient,” Logan said, lowering his head.

“Sweetheart, can you do something for me?” Lena asked Logan, crouching down near him. “It would make me happy if you would not refer to yourself or the other children as numbers. Each one of you is a valuable, living being. In our… family, we call people by their names.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Logan answered, tensing up. He shut his eyes, opening them a moment later when nothing happened.

“A mother doesn’t hurt her children,” Lena said softly, sitting down on the floor. “Do you know what a mother is?” she asked, looking around at the children. “How about you, Larissa, do you know?” she asked, to avoid Logan being their sound board all the time.

“We never had a mother, ma’am,” Larissa answered, fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. “Madam said we are not children. We are properties. We were not born, we were created. Therefore, we do not have parents.”

“Lyra, can you come here, sweetie?” Lena asked gently. “Jamie, can you stand next to Lyra for a moment?” she asked, knowing both girls were five years old. “Now, children, do Jamie and Lyra look much different?”

Five pairs of eyes looked at Logan.

“No, ma’am,” Logan answered, tilting his head. “You wish to teach us something.”

“That’s right, you are a clever boy, Logan,” Lena replied, smiling warmly. “Jamie and Lyra don’t look much different because they’re both children, not properties.”

“Children have parents, ma’am,” Lorraine said quietly. “I apologize, you did not ask me to speak,” she said, staring down at the floor.

“No, it’s okay,” Lena assured Lorraine. “I like hearing your thoughts and you’re right, children have parents. My friend, Kara, whom you met earlier and I, are your mothers.”

“Are you sure you’ve never raised a child before or babysat or something?” Maggie asked Lena, casually leaning against the table while she selected a doughnut. “Because you seem to be doing fine without us,” she said, impressed.

“I honestly haven’t,” Lena answered, feeling around in the dark when it came to trying to raise children. “What I do know is that I have been raised by Luthors and I want better than that for my children. In order to give them a better life, I have to be a better parent than they were.”

“You’re not just a better parent, Lena,” Alex said, shaking her head. “You’re a better person.”

“Incoming!” Winn warned loudly.

His shouting had Logan, Larissa, Lorraine, Lucius, Lyra and Lizzie rushing to hide.

Lena pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling like Winn was ruining the small progress she thought she’d made with her children. “What is he talking about?” she asked the other adults.

Lucy readied her weapon. “Livewire,” she said when she heard electricity crackling.

Lena was a little surprised, given Livewire hadn’t been seen or heard of in years, not that the news shared anyway. The last time Livewire had actively been in the news was when she helped ridding National City of the Daxamites ten years ago.

“Gobble, gobble,” Livewire said with a hollow laugh. “Hiding under your desk, Winnepooh?” she asked with a teasing and mocking tone.

“It’s not very smart of you to come here,” Alex said to Livewire.

“That’s no way of saying hello to an old friend,” Livewire replied, her electricity sparking in her hands.

“Shouldn’t you be in Gotham with Harley and Ivy?” Lucy asked Livewire. “Or did they finally decide to break up with you because three is a bunch?”

Livewire laughed and patted Lucy’s shoulder. “You’re as snappy as ever,” she answered, smirking. “I’m here to borrow Winnie the Pooh,” she explained, glancing at Winn who was still hiding. “We need to track someone down who stole a rare medicinal plant from Ivy.”

“Is she a friend or foe?” Lena asked Alex, Maggie and Lucy.

“A bit of both,” Lucy answered, lowering her gun. “She’s my friend some moments and during other moments we fight.”

Livewire’s black eyes landed on the children. “I didn’t know this place decided to lock up children,” she grumbled. “How about you let these children go or I’ll fry everyone,” she threatened J’onn. “I doubt those shaking leaves ever did anything to anyone.”

“They are hiding because your sudden appearance frightened them,” Lena said, approaching Livewire, although she knew it was also because Winn had shouted. “And they are not prisoners, for the record,” she corrected, surprised that this friend slash foe was being so protective when it came to the children whom she didn’t even know.

Livewire eyed Lena warily while she stopped releasing electricity. “You coming or what?” she asked Winn, nudging his shoe with hers.

“I’ll send a small team to Gotham,” J’onn said to Livewire. “Now, leave.”

“Until next time, chicks,” Livewire said to the ladies, winking at them. “You look so much like your mother,” she whispered to Jamie, grasping her chin.

“Get your hands off of my daughter,” Maggie warned lowly.

“She’s the only kid who’s not hiding from me,” Livewire noted. “You’re brave, kid. You got that from your mother as well,” she said, letting go of Jamie.

“Mama, por qué sus ojos son negros?” _(Mama, why are her eyes black?)_ Jamie asked, looking up at Maggie.

“Estoy muerto, pero olvidé mi capa,” _(I am death, but I forgot my cloak)_ Leslie said, grinning when Jamie’s jaw dropped. “I’m messing with you, kid. I’m a meta-human.”

“A meta-human who is leaving,” Alex said sharply.

Livewire winked and then she disappeared through the lights.

“Children, can you please come out?” Lena asked softly, knowing she’d need to get them in her limousine so they could go to the beach house. Her children did come out of hiding, although she had a feeling they were merely being obedient rather than responding to the please she added.

Jamie smiled and grasped Lyra’s hand, frowning when the little girl shivered. “Quieres ser mi amigo?” ( _Do you want to be my friend?)_ she asked, swinging their arms back and forth.

Lyra looked at Logan, who nodded. “Sí, señorita,” _(Yes, Miss)_ she answered, still shivering.

Lena’s heart ached for Lyra who must have thought Jamie was just another person she needed to obey. She almost faltered when arms wrapped around her legs. “It’s okay,” she said to Logan before he could apologize in Lizzie’s stead. She lifted her youngest daughter up and smiled at her.

Jamie giggled, shaking her head at Lyra. “Mi nombre es Jamie,” _(My name is Jamie)_ she said, frowning when Lyra nodded mutely. “¿Estás bien? ¿Te gustaría un abrazo?” _(Are you okay? Would you like a hug?)_ she asked, holding her arms open. “Dios mío,” ( _My god)_ she gasped when Lyra fainted.

“I got her,” Alex said, scooping Lyra up, since Lena had her hands full with Lizzie. “She’s a bit scared, baby,” she said softly to her daughter.

“¿Por qué le tiene miedo a su familia?” _(Why is she scared of her family?)_ Jamie asked, frowning while she looked at her mothers.

When they reached the limousine, Lyra gained consciousness and screamed while she tried to wriggle herself out of Alex’s arms.

“Shhh, it’s okay, I’m going to put you down,” Alex said calmly, slowly lowering Lyra. “I’m not going to hurt you, sweetie.”

Lyra sobbed as she slid down against the limousine, wrapping her arms around her legs as she pulled them up under her chin.

Lena was heartbroken, seeing how traumatized those children were. She thought back of her younger years, of things Lex used to do for her when he was a good brother, before everything went horribly wrong. She took her watch off of her wrist. It was an expensive Rolex which had diamonds in it. Slowly, she crouched down in front of Lyra, leaving some distance so she wouldn’t feel trapped between the car and her.

“Do you see this?” Lena asked, holding her watch up to Lyra who nodded. “This is a special watch. Whoever wears it can’t be hurt. You can have it,” she said, putting it down. She backed away so her daughter would take it.

Lyra’s hand shakily reached out for the watch while she kept her eyes on Lena. She clutched the watch in her tiny fist and stood up, rocking back and forth on her heels.

“Good job, Luthor,” Alex whispered, smiling as the children got in the limousine.

Lena smiled bitterly. “Lex gave that watch to me when I was six,” she said, taking a deep breath. “He told me that as long as I wore it, nothing or no-one could harm me. It helped me, now I’m hoping it’ll help my daughter.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

The beach house wasn’t far away from the ocean and it appeared to have its own private area with the nearest house being a ten minute walk away. It had a porch with a swing set and two rocking chairs. The house was surprisingly modern, with glass sliding doors in front of a view of the ocean.

“This place is going to be amazing during summer,” Kara said, smiling as she pictured making sand castles with the children and running into the water to splash water at each other. “Lena must have paid a small fortune for this, even though it’s January.”

“One of us can buy clothes for the children and fill up the refrigerator while the other arranges the furniture,” Astra suggested.

“Hmm yes, good thinking,” Kara replied, agreeing. “I’ll get the clothes, so not all of them end up black,” she said, digging around for her wallet. “You can get the furniture.”

“Very well,” Astra agreed, eying the space in the house. “I shall begin with the bedrooms,” she decided, nodding. “Three for the children and three for adults, yes?” she asked, awaiting confirmation.

“Yup, precisely,” Kara answered, but then she remembered she was going to share a bedroom with Lena and they needed separate beds. “But I need – never mind, you already left,” she said, sighing.

She could always switch it herself later or maybe Lena wouldn’t even mind. There had been more than a few times throughout the years they’d been friends where they would share a bed when one stayed late at the other’s place and the best part was that they’d cuddle. Lena always told her she was nice and warm.

It was even better during the winter, where her best friend would cuddle up even more to steal some of her warmth. She thought it was funny that it was winter now and that she’d been a beat too late to warn her aunt how Lena and she need separate beds in their room. She flew away to go to the store, needing to hurry to get everything ready and shopping was something she had to do at a human speed.

She landed in an alley, changed into regular clothes and speed-walked towards a store that sold clothes for children. Considering the malnourished state of the children, she assumed the regular clothing sizes for their ages would be too big, although she’d buy some of those as well because they needed to gain a healthy weight at some point.

It was upsetting to know there had been six children before them, who had been killed, which meant Lillian had murdered the first six children she had with Lena, even though they never met them. If Cadmus hadn’t been dismantled, those children wouldn’t have survived much longer.

“Okay, two boys, four girls,” Kara said while she tried to focus.

“Leslie was not joking then.”

Kara jumped up and brought a hand to her chest. “You startled me, Ivy,” she whispered.

“I never thought I’d be able to sneak up on you,” Ivy replied, smiling while she rummaged through the clothes.

“I was distracted,” Kara explained, frowning while Ivy held clothes in her hands. “I thought you were in Gotham and what are you doing here, holding children’s clothes?”

Ivy chuckled dryly, narrowing her eyes at people who stared at her skin. “Why so hostile, Supergirl?” she asked, whispering as she trailed her fingertips up Kara’s arm. “And if you must know, I am here to buy clothes for Lilith and Vladimir.”

“Lilith and Vladimir?” Kara asked, frowning.

“They are Harley’s children,” Ivy answered, sighing while she selected a few more clothes. “The joker is their father and since he is locked up in Arkham now, the children are with us.”

“Ah, I see,” Kara replied, a little surprised. “So Harley, Leslie and you are raising two children together? That’s interesting and… new.”

“A Luthor and a Super are about to raise six children, how quaint.”

“That obvious then?” Kara asked, keeping her voice down while she inspected clothes.

“When Leslie told me what she had seen and I saw you enter this store, I put two and two together.”

“I’d love to stay and chat, but my time is limited, I have other things to do,” Kara said, quickly grasping more clothes. “Make sure you and your partners don’t cause any trouble, you’re in National City, this is my territory.”

“Yes, sheriff,” Ivy replied, grasping Kara’s hand. “Maybe I will let you arrest me,” she said, kissing her hand before winking.

“You’re insufferable,” Kara mumbled, brushing past Ivy to go pay for the clothes.

Astra had already finished up the bedrooms and was working on the living room when Kara got back. “I may have bought toys,” she said as her niece eyed the toys on the floor.

“That’s good, toys are great for children,” Kara replied, smiling. “Save a spot in that corner over there,” she said, pointing at the right side of the couch. “I’m going to Lena’s place to get some of her stuff that she’ll want here and that spot is perfect for her piano.”

“You are going to fly to her home and fly away with her piano?” Astra asked, amusement sparkling in her eyes. “I cannot wait to read tomorrow’s headline. Supergirl steals Luthor’s piano.”

“Umm… no, it’s not going to say that,” Kara chuckled, slapping her aunt’s arm playfully. “They might say I’m borrowing it though. This city knows that this Super is close with a Luthor. I mean come on, Lena built a statue to honor me and three years ago for that charity event where people could buy a date with Supergirl she bought it, for two million dollars! People aren’t going to mind seeing me fly around with her piano, it’s totally normal.”

“You are right, this city is aware of the closeness you share with Lena,” Astra said, fluffing the pillows and placing them on the couch. “It was a generous sign of love of her to build you a statue and buy that date with you.”

“Oh yes, definitely,” Kara whole-heartedly agreed. “Lena’s the best, I love her.”

“According to Lucy, if you like her you should put a ring on her.”

Kara’s face heated up. “Oh Rao, no,” she replied silently, blushing. “Lena is my best friend. People don’t marry their best friends.”

“Lucy is my best friend and I married her,” Astra pointed out.

“Okay, some people… okay,” Kara replied, sighing. She didn’t have time to explain it properly, not when the house needed to be ready as quickly as possible. “By the way, I was meaning to ask you, you don’t hold a grudge against Alex, do you?”

“No, I do not,” Astra answered, averting her eyes. “Alexandra is family.”

“She hates it when you call her that, you know,” Kara commented, rushing out to go get Lena’s things. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena nodded approvingly at the way Kara and Astra decorated the house. She saw they pushed two large dining tables together, although because of that, little to no space was left in the kitchen. There were thirteen chairs and one high chair, which meant they had one spare. There was a large flat screen above to fireplace and the couch was suitable for only eight people, though it was doubtful all thirteen of them would be watching television at the same time.

Krypto and Gertrude ran through the house, chasing one another with waggling tails.

“Welcome home,” Kara said with a genuine smile. “That’s a pretty watch you have there, sweetie,” she said to Lyra, recognizing it because it used to be around Lena’s wrist for years.

“It keeps me safe,” Lyra replied, holding the watch close to her body. “I didn’t steal it, ma’am.”

“I believe you,” Kara assured Lyra quickly. “Have you read any books?” she asked Logan, assuming he had.

“Many books, ma’am,” Logan answered, keeping his distance. “Madam said we would be retarded without them.”

“I see,” Kara whispered, feeling hatred for Lillian. “Have you ever read Harry Potter by any chance?”

“Once, but madam didn’t approve, ma’am.”

Kara removed her cape from her suit. “Harry Potter had an invisibility cloak,” she said while she inched closer to Logan. “This cloak has a special protection spell to make sure that whoever is wearing it is safe,” she said as she carefully draped it over her son’s shoulders. He flinched just the slightest bit. “It’s yours now,” she said, knowing she could get Winn to make her a new one.

Logan grasped the cape and wrapped it tightly around his body. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said, dipping his head.

Kara would prefer something other than ma’am, but asking to be called mother would be too much at once for her children, for whom she was a stranger. “How about you call us by our names from now on, hm?” she asked gently. “I’m Kara, remember?”

“Yes… Kara,” Logan answered slowly, swallowing thickly.

“Thank you, Logan,” Kara replied, smiling.

“We’re going to find our room and unpack our luggage,” Maggie said, excusing herself and her wife. “Once I’m done unpacking, I’m going to head over to the station and ask for my old job back because I have a feeling we’ll be in National City for quite some time.”

“Work,” Kara said with wide eyes as she gasped. “Miss Grant is not going to be happy,” she said, cringing as she remembered she was supposed to be at Catco.

“I can phone her and explain your tardiness,” Lena offered. “She won’t mind if I say I kept you for an interview in regards to a new project, for which I’m giving Catco the scoop.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Kara replied, breathing out in relief while she flung her arms around Lena. “Thank you,” she chirped happily.

Lena smiled. “What are bezzie mates for?”

Lucy faked a cough. “Lezzie mates,” she corrected, mumbling.

“The top floor has two bedrooms,” Astra said. “The children shall be sleeping downstairs, as will Kara and Lena.”

“Yes,” Kara pitched in, nodding. “Oh, Lee, I have to tell you something about our bedroom,” she said, laughing as she rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s a funny story, actually. So um… Astra was getting the bedrooms ready and she sort of um… accidentally…um.”

“There are no separate beds in our room are there?” Lena asked, smiling as she shook her head when Kara sucked her lips into her mouth and nodded. “I understand it was an accident,” she said, eyeing Astra warily who was having a conversation with her eyes with Lucy. “Do you mind sharing, El? Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind sleeping on the couch.”

“Don’t be silly, you’re not going to sleep on the couch,” Kara guffawed. “We shared a bed before, I don’t mind.”

Lyra tugged at Lena’s sweater, taking a step back when Lena spun to face her. “If you two are our parents, does that mean you are married?” she asked, eyes flitting between Kara and Lena.

“We’re not married, sweetheart,” Lena answered softly. “Kara and I are friends.”

“I don’t understand,” Lyra replied, frowning. She looked at Logan, who frowned as well.

“My wifey is just kidding,” Kara said hurriedly, looping her arm around Lena’s waist. “Small steps,” she whispered in Lena’s ear. “Everything is new for them and I think we shouldn’t confuse them?” she whispered, her voice going up slightly in question.

Lena’s eyes were full of mirth as she gazed at Kara. “Yes, _wifey_ ,” she said with a slight mocking tone.

 


	5. Chapter 5

“Logan and Lucius, this bedroom is for the two of you,” Kara said as she opened the door to the bedroom that was located at the end of the hall. “You’ll be sleeping here.”

“Go on,” Lena encouraged with a warm smile, nodding at the bedroom.

Lucius was the first to enter. He traced his fingertips over the desk while he eyed the two singular beds.

“We can get you different sheets if you wouldn’t like those,” Kara said, noticing Lucius and Logan staring at the green sheets which had koala bears on them.

Logan opened the closet, tilting his head as his eyes roamed over all the clothes.

“Everything in this bedroom belongs to the two of you,” Kara said, not wanting them to be afraid to take clothes they’d like or to sleep in their beds. “Okay, boys, we’re going to show the girls their bedrooms now.”

Lena’s heart clenched when Logan and Lucius simply stood there, as if they didn’t know whether they were supposed to leave the room or stay. Baby steps, she had to remind herself. If she’d tell them they could leave their bedroom, they would think they had to.

Kara opened the door of the second bedroom. “This bedroom is for Larissa and Lorraine,” she said, smiling at the girls. She nodded when Lorraine pointed at the room.

Wordlessly, Larissa and Lorraine entered their bedroom. It was similar to the boys’ bedroom, but their sheets had horses on them instead of koala bears.

“Onto the next,” Kara said with a hopeful smile to Lyra and Lizzie. “You two will be sharing your bedroom with Jamie,” she explained, resting a hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “Isn’t that fun?”

“Super fun,” Jamie answered when Lyra and Lizzie didn’t speak. “Pink!” she squealed, running up to one of the beds. “I love it, Auntie Kara.”

Lyra grasped Lizzie’s hand and entered the room with her. She froze when Jamie jumped on the bed. “Do we have to jump on the bed, … Kara?” she asked, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“You don’t have to jump on it, but jumping on a bed can be a lot of fun,” Kara answered, smiling. She knew jumping on the bed wasn’t ideal to encourage, but she really wanted for the children to be children.

“If you’re careful not to fall,” Lena added thoughtfully.

Lizzie pulled her hand away from Lyra’s grip and walked over to Kara, pouting as she wrapped her arms around her legs and looked up at her. “I’m hungry,” she whined.

“What a coincidence, so am I,” Kara replied, reaching out to lift Lizzie up. She held her youngest daughter close, rubbing her back, reveling at the feeling of being a mother. “Let’s go get some food.”

“Not too much,” Lena whispered to ensure only Kara would hear, since their children were still restoring their powers. She pointed at her stomach to convey she needed to be mindful that their bodies hadn’t adjusted to eating properly yet. If she’d said it aloud, their children might wrongly think she doesn’t want to feed them enough.

Kara nodded and made her way to the kitchen with Lizzie. The bedroom she’d be sharing with Lena was at the other end of the hall, though she assumed her best friend had figured that out for herself since it was the only bedroom left on the ground level.

“I know what that look in your eyes means,” Alex said to Kara, opening a bottle of water to pour herself a glass. “That’s how I looked at Jamie when she was born.”

“I never thought I’d be a mother and being a mother feels… I don’t know, like I found a puzzle piece that had been missing before,” Kara replied, finding it difficult to describe. “It’s impossible for me not to love them instantly, they’re my children,” she said, tearing up a little. “I want to hug all of them so bad, but I know they need time.”

“They’ll warm up to you and Lena eventually,” Alex assured her sister. “Did you and Astra buy a piano?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the piano tucked away in the corner of the living area.

“My dear niece took it from Lena’s place,” Astra sufficed. “May I?” she asked Alex, who was blocking her path to the refrigerator.

“Mhmm, yeah, sure,” Alex mumbled, stepping out of the way.

“I figured Lena would like having her piano here,” Kara explained to her sister. “Playing relaxes her.”

“It is thoughtful of you, El,” Lena said, appearing in the living area with the children.

“What is that for, Lena?” Larissa asked, pointing at the piano.

“A piano is a musical instrument,” Lena answered, moving to sit down behind her piano. “You can join me if you’d like,” she said, patting the space next to her. “I’ll show you how to play.”

Larissa took her time to walk over to the piano, sitting as far away from Lena as possible.

“Press your index finger here,” Lena said, pointing at one of the keys. “Good and that finger there,” she said, pointing, but never touching. While she kept pointing at keys for Larissa to press, she slowly slid closer to her, testing the boundaries.

A sudden brush against her right arm, which was the opposite direction of where Larissa sat next to her, had her turn her head to the side. She smiled tentatively when she saw Lucius had decided to sit next to her. Wordlessly, she pointed at keys for him to press.

“Will you play for us, Lena?” Lucius asked quietly, dragging his eyes up to meet hers. “Please?”

“Gladly, son,” Lena answered, smiling while her fingers moved effortlessly over the keys. “I could teach you sometime, if you want to learn,” she offered, looking forward to play piano with her children.

Lucius’ hands were scarred and he flinched away when Lena’s right hand came too close to his left hand.

Lena had to ignore her first instinct of wanting to wrap Lucius in a hug and tell him he was safe. She wondered if that was what a loving mother felt because it surely wasn’t what her mother had felt. Instead of reaching out to him and terrifying him further, she dropped her hands.

“Would you like to try again, sweetheart?” Lena asked gently, refraining from brushing through Lucius’ hair, which was another instinct she had to push down. All the affectionate touches she never received from her mother, she wanted to give to her children, but couldn’t and that hurt.

Lucius nodded and waited for Lena to point at the keys.

“You can join your brother if you want to play,” Lena said softly to Larissa.

Larissa sighed as she pressed the keys differently than Lena had, the sound nowhere near as beautiful of a melody as Lena’s had been. “I am not good,” she said, her shoulders sagging. “I will try harder, Lena.”

Lena had to hold her tongue, assuming Larissa thought it was a test. “You obviously haven’t heard Kara play,” she joked, laughing. “She’s terrible.”

“Hey,” Kara said, pouting. “I’m only half terrible.”

“I’m going for a walk with Gertrude,” Maggie announced, taking her dog’s leash. “I can take Krypto with me as well if you want,” she offered Kara and Lena.

“Ooooh, I’ll go with you,” Kara replied, rushing to grasp Krypto’s leash. “Would any of you like to come with me?” she asked her children. “I’ll even let you hold Krypto’s leash.”

Lyra shyly stepped forward.

“Perfect,” Kara said, trying to contain her excitement. “You need to wear a jacket though, it’s cold outside,” she said, not wanting Lyra to become ill while she was weakened.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena spoke as fast as she could to give Kara the scoop of her new project while Kara had no trouble keeping up. Even though she knew her best friend was Supergirl, the speed with which her fingers moved to write never ceased to amaze her. By the time she’d shared what needed to be said, she was out of breath while Kara gave her one of her brightest smiles.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Kara said while she was already tugging her coat on. “If there’s an emergency, you can text me and I’ll come back right away.”

“I think we’ll manage for a while,” Lena replied, seeing how their children stood in the living room without moving and she wouldn’t be alone with them anyway.

“Okay, bye, sweethearts,” Kara said, waving at their children. “Bye, wifey.”

“Dork,” Lena whispered, chuckling.

Kara ducked her head and blushed. She said nothing when her sister raised an eyebrow at her and left to go to Catco to face Miss Grant.

“Gracias, mama,” _(Thank you, mama)_ Jamie said to Maggie when a cookie was being handed to her. She looked at the children and walked up to them, pouting when they backed away, but smiling when Lizzie didn’t. “Hola, pequeño primo,” _(Hi, little cousin)_ she said, wrapping her arms around the shorter girl to hug her.

The other children gawked at Jamie when she lifted Lizzie up and spun her around once. When Jamie put Lizzie down and split her cookie in half, sharing it with Lizzie who wordlessly ate it, they gasped.

“Apologies, … Lena,” Logan said, struggling as he spoke her name. “Num- Lizzie is too young to understand the rules. Please don’t hurt her.”

Lena felt tears bubble up and had to look away for a moment to bite them back as she took a deep breath. She wondered how often Logan had pleaded for the younger children not to be hurt. “I’m not going to hurt her, I’m not going to hurt any of you,” she said, keeping her voice soft while she tried to smile at them. “A mother doesn’t hurt her children,” she said, repeating her earlier words, though she knew it wouldn’t be easy to gain their trust.

“I’m going to hear if my old boss wants to rehire me,” Maggie said, grasping her coat. “Are you four going to be fine watching the children?” she asked Alex, Lena, Astra and Lucy.

“Yeah, it’s a piece of cake,” Lucy answered, leaning casually against the wall.

“I’ll miss you,” Alex said to her wife, kissing her cheek as she hugged her.

“Not as much as I’ll miss you,” Maggie replied, pecking her wife’s lips. “I should be back in an hour or two.”

Jamie emptied a box with toys, grabbing two toy cars to play with them.

“You can play with Jamie,” Lena suggested to her children when they simply stared at Jamie.

“What are those things?” Lorraine asked, pointing at the toys. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

Lucius knelt down and hesitantly took two toys cars, observing Jamie while he copied what she did.

“Those are toys,” Lena answered, sharing a sad worried look with the other adults. “Toys are something children can play with.”

In seconds, the children were all on the floor with Jamie, doing what she did. If Jamie grabbed a doll, so did they and when she reached for another toy, they looked to grab a similar one.

“Are we passing the test, Lena?” Logan asked, frowning as he watched his siblings. “Wrong toy,” he said quietly to Lyra when she took a doll while everyone else held a toy car.

Lyra cast her eyes down, lip quivering as she put the doll down.

“It’s not a test, sweetie,” Lena answered, refraining from letting out a tired sigh. “There is no test,” she assured her oldest son once more.

Alex crouched down in front of Lyra, keeping in mind that she’d caused her little niece to scream earlier when she had been carrying her. “I have a feeling you like dolls,” she said, picking up the doll Lyra had been holding while curious eyes followed her. “This doll is very pretty, like you.”

Lena watched Lyra staring at Alex and she hoped that eventually, someday, they would be able to get a smile out of the children, but for now they were scared and weren’t going to spare them a smile. They probably never had much of a reason to smile or might not even have been allowed to be anything other than miserable.

“Dolls can have names,” Alex said, grasping a brush to comb the doll’s hair while Lyra watched her. “I’ve been trying to come up with a name for this doll, but I can’t think of any. Would you like to help me choose a name?”

Lyra nodded and didn’t seem to flinch when Alex scooted a little bit closer. “Number eleven,” she said, reaching a hand out, but retrieving it when Alex’s hand got too close.

“Oh,” Alex whispered, glancing at Lena who turned around. She could see Lena’s shoulders tremble while Astra whispered something in her ear that she couldn’t hear. “That was what people used to call you, isn’t it?” she asked Lyra with a pained smile.

“Yes, ma’am,” Lyra answered, dashing away to hide under the table.

Alex frowned, not understanding what had gone wrong and if perhaps she’d triggered bad memories.

Lena wiped at her eyes, which were slightly red from recently shed tears. She got on all fours, but decidedly didn’t crawl under the table. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asked Lyra.

“I… I for-forgot,” Lyra answered, voice croaking. Her chest was heaving as she looked past Lena to look at Alex. “I forgot… her name, Lena. I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she cried, hiding her face in her hands.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Lena replied calmly, even though on the inside her heart broke all over again. “I forget names sometimes, too, but I think I know her name. Hmm, let’s see. What was it again… Harry Potter?”

Lyra lowered her hands and peered at Lena. “Harry is a boy,” she whispered, frowning. “Lena,” she added quickly, when she seemed to realize she’d spoken without using her name.

“Oh, yes, it’s not Harry then,” Lena agreed, tapping her chin with her index finger. “Maybe her name is… oh, I know, it’s Lena.”

Lyra shook her head. “Your name is Lena, Lena,” she replied with a serious tone.

“Of course, silly me,” Lena chuckled, shaking her head. “Wait, this time I’m sure I know her name,” she said, nodding. “It’s Lyra.”

“That’s my name,” Lyra replied, almost smiling while she dried her eyes.

“Hmm, I think… her name starts with an A,” Lena said, humming. “Al… Ale….”

“Alex,” Lyra said, exhaling in relief. “I remember. Her name is Alex, Lena.”

“Yes, Alex, that’s her name,” Lena confirmed, smiling. “Thank you, Lyra.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

Kara sighed when the elevator didn’t come down as fast as she wanted it to. It would have been easier if she’d be allowed to use the other one, but she knew how Cat felt about anyone using her personal elevator.

Ten years ago, James had left Catco to return to Metropolis because of a job offer he had received. Around that same time, Cat had decided to come back to National City, apparently too bored to spend her days in a yurt any longer and at the time there was a lot of news to cover in regards to the Daxamites.

She’d been sad to see one of her friends leave, but at the same time she was happy her mentor came back. It had been difficult to hide her secret identity, given over the last ten years Cat nearly found out more than once and it didn’t help she also nearly found out fifteen years ago.

The doors of the elevator swooshed open as the bell dinged. She ignored the stares and glares while she made her way to Miss Grant’s office, note block in hand.

“Ever heard of batteries?” Miss Grant asked, folding her arms.

“Batteries?” Kara repeated, frowning. “Yes, why?”

“Judging from that hideous seventies watch around your wrist, I assume you know how late it is, unless your battery died,” Miss Grants answered dryly.

“It’s not from the seven- never mind,” Kara mumbled, reducing the last part of her words to a whisper. “I have a reasonable explanation,” she said, shooting Miss Grant a smile.

“Are you going to explain or are you going to wait for summer to end?” Miss Grant asked, sighing.

Kara was off to a bad start. Clearly, she was getting on Cat’s nerves and it wasn’t summer because it was still winter. “I was with Lena Luthor, she gave me the scoop on her new project,” she explained, showing her notes. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you, it won’t happen again.”

“Hmm,” Miss Grant said, pursing her lips together while she skimmed through the notes. “I want this article to be ready and printed before this day ends.”

“Absolutely, Miss Grant,” Kara answered cheerfully. “And I um… I was wondering if I could work from home for a few… weeks?” she asked, cringing, knowing it was a lot to ask. “There’s a err… situation for which I need to be home, it’s a family emergency.”

“I gave you a week off during the holidays, not even a month ago,” Miss Grant reminded Kara. “And now you are asking me to let you stay home for weeks? This is not a holiday inn, Keira.”

Kara chewed the inside of her cheek. The week off she’d asked during the holidays hadn’t been a vacation at all, thanks to Cadmus. The only reason she’d even asked for that week was because she had the right to and she was needed more as Supergirl than as Kara Danvers. Cadmus had her working around the clock. She hadn’t even used one day to go see her sister in Spain.

“I have to look after children,” Kara blurted out. “I didn’t know of their existence, but I’m their guardian now,” she explained vaguely, fidgeting with her glasses. “And if I can work from home, I can keep an eye on them because they uh… err… they’re not from around here,” she said, eyes widening when she realized that sounded as if they were alien, although they were. “They’re from Ireland,” she said, naming the first country she thought of.

“You are living with children, with your budget and your appetite?” Miss Grant asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow when Kara nodded. “Obviously you will have to work from home for a while and receive a raise.”

“Pardon, what?” Kara asked, confused. “You’re giving me a raise?” she asked, wondering if her ears betrayed her.

“Employees with children get paid more,” Miss Grant answered, clicking her pen. “It is a personal matter I decided to enforce. Raising children is not cheap, especially not for single parents. Now, Keira, how many children are you raising?”

“Um… well… a few,” Kara answered, suddenly feeling too hot as she tugged at her collar. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut about the children. “One, two, three, four…,” she counted when Cat eyed her. “Six,” she said finally.

Cat dropped her pen and stood abruptly. “Miss Teschmacher!” she shouted loudly. “I need a drink and an aspirin!”

Kara winced at the loud volume. She should really be more careful about which information she shared.

“Don’t stand there like a child waiting for snow to fall,” Miss Grant said, plopping down on her couch.

Kara wordlessly sat down next to Miss Grant. She waited patiently for her to speak while Tess ran in with a glass of water and an aspirin.

“What am I, Nemo?” Miss Grant commented to Tess. “I asked for a drink. God, to they teach people anything at Harvard these days?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Chief gave me my old job back,” Maggie said while she unzipped her coat. “Mhmm, I smell popcorn,” she hummed, sniffing.

“Hey, you’re back,” Alex replied, smiling as she looked at her wife. “We waited for you to get started.”

“Quick, Maggie, go put your pajamas on,” Kara said, opening the cupboard to take bowls for their popcorn.

“It’s a good thing Astra flew a second couch over,” Lucy commented, eyeing the six Luthor slash Zor-El children who sat on one couch, away from everyone else.

“We’re going to have a Harry Potter marathon,” Lena said to Maggie, to get her up to speed.

“Nice jammies, Luthor,” Maggie said, grinning as she looked at the Supergirl pajamas Lena wore.

“They were a gift from Kara,” Lena replied, blushing slightly while she glanced down at her outfit. “She gave them to me for Christmas.”

“Doesn’t she look beautiful?” Kara asked, beaming.

Lena ran her fingers through her loose locks, combing them behind her ear.

“Your _wifey_ looks good,” Lucy said to Kara with a teasing tone.

“I’ll be right back,” Maggie said, grasping Alex’s hand before escaping upstairs.

Lucy laughed out loud when Astra covered her ears two minutes later while Kara made a face that told it all.

“Earplugs,” Kara murmured, rummaging through the kitchen. “I know I have some around here somewhere.”

“The first night in this house hasn’t happened yet and they already can’t hold it together,” Lucy said, smiling as she shook her head. “Wait until the kids start hearing better, that should be a fun trip.”

“Oh Rao,” Kara said, gasping. “I’ll talk with Alex tonight, when the children are sleeping.”

“Alexandra appears to be making good use of the shower in the bathroom upstairs,” Astra noted.

“Eww, aunt Astra,” Kara said as she scrunched up her nose. “Rao, I’m glad I don’t use that bathroom.”

Lyra giggled when Krypto jumped onto her lap. “No, Krypto,” she whispered, shielding her face while he gave her licks.

Lena shared a smile with Kara, delighted by the sound of Lyra’s giggles. She coughed when Alex and Maggie finally descended the stairs. “Your pajama is nice, too,” she said to Maggie. “You’re wearing it backwards though.”

Alex blushed fiercely when she noticed the knowing looks on the other adults’ faces. “Shall we start that marathon then?” she asked, moving to sit down on the couch Astra brought over.

“Please,” Kara answered, nodding. “I got the popcorn,” she said, balancing two bowls. “Here, sweethearts, one bowl of popcorn for you all to share,” she said, smiling while she held it out. “You can take it.”

Larissa slowly stretched her hands out, while Logan was occupied helping Lyra with trying to get Krypto to calm down. “What is the purpose of… popcorn, Kara?” she asked as she accepted the bowl.

“It’s a snack,” Kara answered, grasping a handful of popcorn to stuff it in her mouth. “Dwelisious,” she mumbled while she chomped on the popcorn.

Lena folded a blanket open, considering she knew she’d want one because it was on the colder side. “Here, sweeties, this will keep you nice and warm,” she said, slowly approaching her children to drape the blanket over them.

“Lena,” Lizzie whimpered, holding her arms out.

Lena responded immediately and took Lizzie into her arms, smiling when her youngest daughter clung to her like a little monkey. Being a mother wasn’t easy, but she loved it, which she never thought she would in the past.

Logan didn’t seem to bother with apologizing for Lizzie this time.

Jamie saw the free spot Lizzie left as a chance to wriggle herself between the other children, leaving her to sit between Lorraine and Lucius. “You’re hurt,” she said, taking one of Lucius’ hands, which made the boy flinch. “¿Cómo ocurrió eso?” _(How did that happen?)_ she asked, pointing at Lucius’ scars.

Lucius pulled his hand out of Jamie’s grip and backed away from her, having to crawl over Logan’s lap to do so.

“Answer her,” Kara heard Logan whisper in Lucius’ ear.

“Madame experimentó conmigo y mis manos resultaron heridas en el proceso,” _(Madam experimented on me and my hands got wounded in the process)_ Lucius said to Jamie.

The remote snapped in half in Kara’s hand. “I hate _her_ ,” she whispered in a low growl.

Jamie frowned. “Experimentos?”  _(Experiments?)_ she asked Lucius.

“Come sit with me, baby girl,” Alex said to Jamie, patting her knees. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to Kara and Lena.

“It’s okay,” Lena replied, sighing tiredly. “Jamie is only five,” she said, not blaming the little girl for her childlike curiosity.

Kara was fretting over the remote she broke and didn’t realize her aunt had approached the children until she heard her talking to them.

“You remind me of Harry Potter,” Astra whispered to Lucius. “He is magical and so are you. Do you enjoy magic, Lucius?”

“Yes, Astra,” Lucius answered in a whisper.

“May I?” Astra asked, gesturing at Lucius to hold his hand open. “This will be a bit cold,” she warned when he held his hand out. She blew the smallest snowflakes onto the palm of his hand, her powers having been perfected over the years she had been on earth. “I can teach you how to do this someday,” she whispered when she saw his eyes sparkling.

Lucius surprised Astra when he touched her hands, or more particularly, her scars.

“Sweet child,” Astra whispered, caressing Lucius’ cheek with the back of her index finger. She froze mid-air when Lucius screwed his eyes shut. “Khap nim throniv rrup,” _(I will protect you)_ she promised in Kryptonese. “Kryp nahn zehdh.” _(We are family)_

“Harry Potter,” Larissa whispered, eyes glued to the television when Kara started the first movie.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Lena wrapped her arms around Lizzie’s waist and kissed the top of her head. “I love you,” she whispered, unable to resist.

Lizzie turned her head around, straining her neck to look at Lena while a crinkle formed between her eyebrows. “What is love?” she asked, nuzzling her head against Lena’s chest.

Lena opened and closed her mouth, unsure how she should explain what love was. “Hugs are love,” she answered thoughtfully, wanting to keep it simple for Lizzie. “Hugs are warm and soft, they feel good and that’s love.”

Lizzie flung her arm around Lena’s neck and snuggled closer. “I love,” she whispered.

Tears touched Lena’s cheeks as she held Lizzie tighter. She faintly dreamed that one day, all her children would allow her to hug them and maybe even hug her back. It was a relief Lizzie was young enough to adapt, but the older children were deeper traumatized and they would need time and patience.

Kara’s heart sped up after she heard Lena and Lizzie whisper and upon seeing her best friend weep silently. She was so happy for both of them because they both deserved all the love in the world.

Lizzie stuck a hand out to Kara, making a grabby movement. “I love,” she whispered, breathing out when Kara moved closer.

Kara tipped her head to rest it on Lena’s shoulder, so Lizzie could hug them both at once. “I love you, too,” she whispered to their youngest daughter.

“Harry Potter movies always make me emotional,” Lucy mumbled, grasping Astra’s sleeve to dry her tears.

“The part with the pigtail is the one you always laugh at,” Maggie said to Lucy, eyeing her knowingly. “Tissues?” she asked, revealing a pack.

“You even need to ask?” Lucy replied, chuckling.

Maggie quietly chuckled along, taking a tissue out of the pack for herself before tossing the rest at Lucy. “I hope nobody is taking pictures of this,” she said, drying her eyes.

“Smart move, babe,” Alex whispered to her wife when her sister got up to take pictures.

Kara made sure the flash was off, so she wouldn’t spook her children with the sudden light. _‘Say cheese_ ’ she mouthed, winking at Lena.

Lena felt a strange feeling overcome her as Kara took pictures. Normally, she would be in her office at L-Corp, being the businesswoman she was, but now she was sitting on a couch in a beach house she bought on a whim, with a family that had somehow become hers, watching Harry Potter movies in pajamas in the middle of the afternoon.

Halfway through the third movie, Lizzie fell asleep on Lena’s lap.

“She must be exhausted,” Kara whispered, combing her fingers through Lizzie’s hair. “Maybe you should take her to bed,” she suggested, dropping her hand.

Lena wasn’t too sure if that would be such a good idea. She didn’t want to end up waking Lizzie up if she’d stir. “Perhaps later would be better,” she replied silently. She was contemplating whether she’d want to wake Lizzie up for dinner or not, which Maggie was preparing with Astra.

Kara decided not to argue with Lena about it because maybe she was right, maybe later would be better. She frowned when she heard Lorraine making sounds with her teeth by moving them over one another. Lifting the blanket, she got up from the couch to walk over to her daughter.

“Hey, sweetie,” Kara said softly to Lorraine. “Is something wrong?”

“I have to pee,” Lorraine answered, biting her lip. “May I please go, Kara?” she asked, eyes glassy.

Kara’s eyes widened momentarily as she realized none of the children had even left the couch once to go to the toilet or anything at all and it had been hours. “Yes, sweetheart, of course,” she answered, forcing a smile onto her face. “You are always allowed to go to the toilet,” she said, so it wouldn’t happen again. “All of you are,” she said to her children.

Those words were enough to make Logan, Larissa, Lorraine, Lucius and Lyra abandon the couch in favor of going to the bathroom.

“Oh Rao,” Kara whispered, resting a hand against her forehead. “I should have noticed,” she said to Lena, feeling guilty she hadn’t.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, El,” Lena replied, giving Kara a sympathetic look. “Any one of us could have noticed just as much as you could have, it’s not your fault.”

“Lena is correct,” Astra agreed. “We all need to be mindful of their needs.”

Kara nodded. It wasn’t easy needing to have eyes everywhere and think of everything. For her it was so natural to go to the bathroom whenever she wanted or grab a drink when she was thirsty or eat when she was hungry and so on, but for her children those things weren’t natural. Her children didn’t simply walk around to do any of those things. Everything had to be told, had to be allowed first.

Maggie stirred in a pot and smiled when Astra curiously peered into it. “Would you like to have a taste?” she asked, scooping some onto a spoon, holding it out to Astra. “I usually make it a lot spicier, but I don’t want to poison the children,” she joked lightly.

Astra tasted the food, smiling back at Maggie. “Your cooking is wonderful, as always,” she complimented.

“I fully agree,” Alex chimed in, snaking her arms around her wife’s waist. “It smells amazing,” she said, kissing Maggie’s neck as she brushed her hair aside.

“It’s going to smell burned soon if you keep doing that,” Maggie replied, closing her eyes for a moment while she leaned into Alex. “Get your cute butt out of the kitchen, Danvers,” she mumbled, opening her eyes to return her attention to the pots.

Alex moved back a bit too far, too close to the fire. She gasped quietly when firm fingers wrapped around her wrist, yanking her away from the fire.

“Careful, Alexandra,” Astra cautioned, letting go of Alex’s wrist.

“Hmm,” Alex hummed, narrowing her eyes. Maybe Astra didn’t hate her after all. “It’s Alex, by the way,” she corrected. “But thanks,” she said, walking out of the kitchen.

“I wonder why you’re so afraid to let people see your soft side,” Maggie whispered to Astra, stirring in the pots. “You come across as intimidating, but you’re very caring and kind.”

“I shall always care about my family,” Astra replied, opening the cupboard to take out plates. “It does not frighten me to admit I have a soft spot for family.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena’s lips parted when her children ate their food with their hands rather than using their cutlery and the speed with which they ate couldn’t have been healthy. “Sweethearts, slow down please,” she said, not wanting them to choke on the food. “Can you try to use your knife and fork?” she asked, showing it to them by using her knife and fork.

Rather than slowing down they stopped eating altogether.

Logan reached for his knife and fork, holding it wrong while he tried to copy Lena. The potato dangling at his fork fell and he winced.

Larissa tried to cut her meat and flinched when her plate broke in two. “I didn’t mean to,” she said, eyes wide and breathing ragged. “I’m sorry, Lena.”

Kara shared a concerned look with Lena. She was surprised to see Larissa had gained enough of her powers back to break a plate, which made her wonder if their other children were gaining their powers back as well.

“No, sweetie, don’t be,” Lena said, slowly putting her cutlery down. “I’m sorry, you can eat with your hands if you want to,” she said, although she’d rather have them eating properly.

She had to accept they weren’t raised the way she was and even though she tried not to be nitpicky, it did irk her when people didn’t use proper etiquette. Her whole life she had been taught to sit up straight. Funny enough, it never bothered her how often Kara stuffed her face with food and it didn’t even bother her how sometimes she spoke with a mouthful.

“Here, sweetheart, you can have mine,” Kara said to Larissa, swapping their plates. “When I was younger, I broke plates all the time,” she shared with a chuckle.

“Thank you, Kara,” Larissa replied quietly, staring down at the plate.

Lizzie mushed her potatoes with her hands and smeared them through her sauce.

“Mama, ellos comen como animales,” _(Mama, they eat like animals)_ Jamie said to Maggie.

“Silencio, niña,” _(Hush, baby girl)_ Maggie replied, rubbing her daughter’s back. “Come tu comida.” _(Eat your food)_

“I could cut your meat for you, if you want,” Lucy offered Lorraine, seeing how she was struggling to push as much as she could at once into her mouth. “It’ll be easier for you to eat that way.”

Lorraine sucked her lips into her mouth and nodded. “Thank you, Lucy,” she said when Logan nudged her.

The table was messy when they were all done eating. Some of the food had even made it to the floor.

“I’ll make sure our children wash up,” Kara said to Lena, noticing she needed a break, from the sound of her rushed heartbeats. “Come, sweethearts, let’s go wash our hands,” she said while she lifted Lizzie out of the high chair.

Lizzie wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck, getting bits of sauce in her hair.

“I’ll wash the dishes,” Lucy said, pushing her chair back as she collected the plates.

“I’ll help,” Lena offered, getting up as well. Jamie’s comment hadn’t been wrong, they did eat like animals, but she assumed her mother hadn’t cared how they ate. There would be a lot to teach them, considering she wasn’t okay with always letting them eat with their hands, they’d have to learn how to be civil.

“Being patient isn’t easy, hm?” Lucy asked Lena while she turned the tap on.

Lena grasped a towel and shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she confessed, worried she might only end up making it worse.

“None of us know what we’re doing, we’re all trying to figure this out,” Lucy replied, putting detergent into the water. “Together,” she said, throwing Lena a smile. “Nobody expects you to have all the answers or to do this without trial and error.”

“Together,” Lena agreed, sighing. “It’s hardly been twenty-four hours since I found them and so much has changed,” she said, thinking how two days ago, she’d spent her night alone in her loft, sipping red wine, after a long day at her office.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lyra stood in the corner of the room, watching as Alex and Maggie sat on the edge of Jamie’s bed, tucking her in and telling her a bedtime story.

Lena was untangling Lizzie from around her neck, peeling her fingers away one by one. Whereas her other children were far too distant and detached, her youngest daughter was far too clingy. It was somewhat endearing and sweet, though it also concerned her. “You need sleep, sweetie,” she said, tucking Lizzie in. “I’ll be back in the morning for more hugs.”

“Lyra, sweetheart, are you going to hop into your bed?” Kara asked gently, hoping Lyra wasn’t going to sleep on the floor again, like she had at the DEO and at that facility.

Lyra was shaking while she stepped away from the corner. She lifted the sheets from Lizzie’s bed and crawled into it next to her.

“Okay,” Kara said, nodding at Lena who was nodding as well. “Thank you, sweetie,” she said, smiling, but when Lyra hid under the covers when she tried to tuck her in, her smile faltered.

“At least she might not sleep on the floor tonight,” Lena whispered to Kara, to offer her some mild comfort. Many years ago, when she was a child, she was aching for her mother to kiss her goodnight and now she found herself aching, wanting to kiss her children goodnight.

“I love,” Lizzie mumbled, yawning while she wrapped her arms around Lyra.

Kara tiptoed out of the bedroom with Lena, Alex and Maggie. Two down, four to go, she thought while she walked into the next bedroom, where Lorraine and Larissa were staring out of the window.

Lena almost didn’t want to disturb them, recalling how she hadn’t seen windows in the rooms at the facility where they were kept. “Girls, it’s time for bed,” she said, regretting her words when Lorraine and Larissa both flinched, despite her gentle tone.

Lorraine and Larissa tried to rush to their beds so fast that they bumped into each other and stumbled down.

“Are you alright, my little angels?” Lena asked, holding her hands out to them. She knew she was too close when they slid under their beds to hide. It was a bitter pill to swallow that even with endearments and soft voices and friendly gestures, they were terrified. Even the simple basic task of getting them to bed was mentally draining.

Kara crouched down next to Lena and absentmindedly caressed her back, feeling her pain because she felt it, too. She was right there in that same boat.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to focus on Kara and Lena and will be a lot lighter. Or as I'd like to call it, my favorite chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Lena yawned unceremoniously while she entered her bedroom, smiling dazed at Kara who was sitting on their bed, wearing a tank top and shorts. For a super, her best friend looked quite exhausted, yawning as much as she was.

“Did you want this side?” Kara asked, gesturing at where she was sitting, closest to the window.

“No,” Lena answered, approaching the bed. “You know I’m fine with either,” she said, getting into bed while Kara lifted the sheets up for her.

“Mhmm,” Kara hummed, scooting a bit closer to Lena to share her warmth.

Lena sighed, relaxing in Kara’s warmth. “Is it okay if I only sleep with my shirt on?” she asked, glancing down at her shirt and pajama pants. “Sleeping with you always makes me a little hot,” she laughed, considering sleeping with her best friend was like sleeping in front of a furnace.

“I don’t mind,” Kara answered, smiling as she shrugged. “Whatever makes you comfortable,” she said, failing to stifle a small yawn.

Lena chuckled, endeared by Kara’s dinosaur-like yawn. God, her best friend was adorkable. “When I’m home alone I often sleep naked, especially during the summer,” she whispered, smiling when Kara’s cheeks flushed red.

“I don’t need that mental image of my best friend,” Kara laughed lightly, pushing Lena playfully. “Eww,” she whispered, trying to stop visualizing her best friend naked, although Lena was beyond doubt a gorgeous woman.

“Don’t think of me like that then,” Lena countered, joining in on Kara’s laughter. “Pervert,” she whispered teasingly.

“I’m not the one taking my pants off,” Kara pointed out.

“Said the one who is looking at me taking my pants off,” Lena defended, chuckling when Kara averted her eyes. She wasn’t ashamed of her body and they were long used to seeing each other half naked. “Much better,” she whispered once she’d rid herself of her pants.

Kara pulled Lena into her arms, smiling as she nuzzled her face closer to hers, tangling their legs together. “Warm enough?” she asked, stroking a hand lazily up and down her friend’s arm.

“Mhmm, I might as well be naked,” Lena hummed, comfortably nestled in Kara’s embrace. “Goodnight, El,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Goodnight, Lee,” Kara whispered, kissing her cheek. She yawned and closed her eyes, groaning when Lena laughed delightfully. “I’m not a baby dinosaur,” she mumbled before her best friend could say anything.

“I beg to differ,” Lena replied, tucking a lock of Kara’s hair behind her ear while she looked at her. Her best friend always appeared so soft when she was about to sleep.

Kara slowly opened her eyes, wanting to see Lena’s reaction. “I didn’t think begging in bed would be something friends do,” she whispered, sticking her tongue out while she heard her gasp.

“Don’t make me kick you to the couch,” Lena warned lightly, though her eyes were full of mirth. Hearing a sexual joke from Kara was a rare treat, one she enjoyed.

“You love me too much for that,” Kara replied knowingly, closing her eyes again.

“True,” Lena confirmed, exhaling while she shut her eyes.

“Nighty night,” Kara yawned.

Lena’s lips curled into a smile. “Baby dinosaur,” she whispered, shrieking when Kara poked her ribs.

“Pterodactyl,” Kara replied, smiling before she let sleep take her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena took a large sip from her cup of coffee, which helped her to wake up properly. She’d gotten up a little before Kara did, though when she stirred her best friend had woken up as well. After a refreshing shower, she’d put on a pair of black sweatpants and a grey shirt, attempting a casual comfortable look.

Kara wore jeans and a white buttoned up shirt, pleasantly surprised to see Lena so casual, so relaxed. “I can make breakfast while you drink your coffee,” she suggested, getting the ingredients ready.

“Allow me to help,” Lena insisted, putting her cup of coffee down. “Two pairs of hands make the work lighter and one of us has to make sure at least some of our breakfast will have nutritional value.”

Kara grinned and nudged Lena’s hip with hers. “Did you sleep well?” she asked, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her friend’s ear.

“I did,” Lena answered, raising her cup of coffee to take another sip. “Sleeping with you tops sleeping alone any night,” she said, having enjoyed their cuddles.

“In that case, feel free to sleep with me any time you’d like,” Kara replied, getting started on some batter for pancakes, hoping it could be a treat for their children.

“Noted,” Lena whispered, feeling a little too warm. “And how was your sleep?” she inquired, blowing over her cup of coffee.

“Amazing,” Kara answered, smiling. “You’re like my personal teddy bear, soft and cuddly.”

“Only for you,” Lena replied truthfully. Before she met Kara, she’d never been one to cuddle with someone in bed and she never shared her bed with anyone unless it was meant to have sex. Her best friend was special and for her she gladly made an exception.

Kara knew Lena truly meant it by the serious tone in her voice and the weight those words held, and by the look in her eyes, how she didn’t tear her gaze away from her. “I can cook you some eggs,” she offered, considering she had dozens of eggs anyway. “How does sunny side up sound?”

“It sounds as if you’re still trying to prepare breakfast all by yourself,” Lena answered, smiling as she took the eggs out of Kara’s hands. “Let’s see, ingredients, check,” she said, nodding. “Beautiful sous-chef, check,” she continued, winking at her friend.

“Music,” Kara mumbled. “We need music,” she said, thrusting a spatula in Lena’s hands.

Lena raised an eyebrow when Kara began to move her hips, which forced her eyes to rake over her friend’s body as she began to move. She’d only seen Kara dance about a handful of times and even though she liked it, the part she liked less was how she was always got roped into dancing along.

Kara put her hands on Lena’s hips, trying to get her to move them. “Come on, Lee, shake it,” she said, batting her eyelashes.

“It would be easier to do so if we had music,” Lena pointed out.

“That’s why I gave you a spatula, silly,” Kara replied, chuckling. She winked and brought a second spatula up to her own mouth. “Woke up this morning with my heart on fire,” she sang, snapping her fingers from her free hand while she moved her hips. “Held on to what I’d been dreaming.”

Lena shook her head, smiling. Hearing Kara sing and seeing her dance with that bright smile of hers was contagious. “Woke up this morning I had one desire,” she sang, body turned to face her best friend, like she was singing it to her. “To get back to what I’d been seeing.”

“Heaven, it was heaven,” they sang together. “I have never known a bliss, witnessed anything like this.”

Kara shimmied her body backwards and forward, chuckling when she almost bumped heads with Lena, who was moving forward at the same time. “Glowing all over as I started on my feet,” she sang, getting more into it with each passing second. “Thought I heard somebody calling.”

Lena got so caught up in the moment that she hadn’t noticed Alex and Maggie descending the stairs.

“Good morning, gays,” Maggie said, stretching her arms as she walked into the kitchen. “Guys,” she added quickly, playing it off as a slipup.

Alex’s eyebrows shot up before sharing a look with her wife upon seeing Kara and Lena dance whilst singing. “¿Cómo no están saliendo?” _(How are they not dating?)_ she whispered in Maggie’s ear, assuming her sister was too distracted to even hear, given she was still singing and dancing. “Me refiero a mirarlos, eso es realmente gay.”  _(I mean look at them, that’s really gay)_

“Son idiotas ajenos en el amor,” _(They are oblivious idiots in love)_ Maggie whispered, shaking her head while she rolled her eyes. “Han pasado diez años.” _(It’s been ten years)_

Alex nodded. “Me debes cincuenta dólares,” _(You owe me fifty dollars)_ she whispered, smiling when her wife groaned.

“Mierda,” _(Shit)_ Maggie muttered. “Cinco meses, ¿doble o nada?” _(Five months, double or nothing?)_ she asked silently, holding a hand out.

Alex shook her wife’s hand and nodded. She cleared her throat, which had the two oblivious lovebirds jumping apart, ceasing their singing and dancing.

Maggie knelt down to pet Gertrude and feed her.

Lena looked around, frowning. “Has anyone seen Krypto?” she asked, suddenly realizing she hadn’t seen their puppy since she went to bed last night.

Kara used her x-ray vision to look around for Krypto while she tried to concentrate on his heartbeat, which was different from everyone else’s. “I found him,” she finally said. “You have to see this,” she whispered, beckoning Lena, Alex and Maggie to follow her.

Lena followed Kara, who stopped short of the bedroom where Lizzie, Lyra and Jamie were sleeping.

Kara pushed the door open, revealing Krypto who was in bed with Lizzie and Lyra, sandwiched between them. “Aren’t they adorable?” she asked, containing her squeal while she cooed.

“Awe, yes, they are,” Lena answered, whispering. “We should return to the kitchen to finish up breakfast.”

Kara nodded and slowly closed the door, tiptoeing to the kitchen as if she hadn’t been singing a moment ago. “Shh,” she whispered, pressing a finger to her lips when she saw Lucy and Astra walking down the stairs.

“You two look like you didn’t get much sleep,” Alex commented to Lucy and Astra. “Not that you look bad, just tired.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lucy replied, shrugging as a shit eating grin appeared on her face. “Heaven, it was heaven,” she sang, shaking her booty. She laughed when Kara swatted her arm. “I must say, sharing a bed with a Kryptonian gives me interesting intel,” she said, smiling as she shamelessly snuck her hands under Astra’s shirt, holding her from behind. ‘ _I want in’_ she mouthed to Alex and Maggie when Kara wasn’t looking.

Astra grasped Lucy’s hands and pinned her against the wall, drawing a gasp from her lips. She lifted her chin up with her finger and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I am going to take a shower,” she whispered, backing away.

Lucy sighed, wanting an actual kiss. “So you’re going to get wet, hm?” she asked naughtily, trailing after her wife.

“Considering you are wet, it only seems fair I get wet, too,” Astra answered, smiling faintly when Lucy’s jaw dropped.

“Ewww, you guys,” Kara groaned, covering her ears. “There are some things I don’t need to hear from family.”

“Woke up this morning I had one desire,” Lucy sang, laughing when Kara chucked a pillow at her, which was caught mid-air by Astra. “To get back to what I’d been seeing,” she continued, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at her wife.

Lena chuckled while Kara pouted. It was endearing to witness the antics of this family, how they teased one another, all in good nature. Her heart felt warmer knowing that one way or another, she’d always be a part of this family, thanks to the children she shared with her best friend.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for graphic descriptions of dead children.

Kara dropped the plate she’d meant to put on the table when she heard Krypto barking while one of the children was crying hysterically. “Oh Rao,” she gasped, sharing a concerned look with the other adults, who were all hearing the same thing.

Lena rushed to the bedroom Lizzie and Lyra shared with Jamie, but neither one of them was crying. Her heart thundered in her chest while her youngest daughters went to hide under the bed. She followed Kara into the next bedroom, where Lorraine was bawling her eyes out.

“Please, she didn’t mean to,” Larissa pleaded, whimpering. “Please, Lena. Please, Kara,” she said, voice desperate.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Kara replied, keeping her voice soft, barely audible with Lorraine’s crying. “We’re not angry. Can you tell us what happened?”

Larissa glanced at Lorraine, who only cried harder and louder. “She wet the bed, Kara,” she answered, casting her eyes down to the floor.

“Okay,” Kara said, taking a deep breath. “Accidents can happen, sweetie,” she said to Lorraine, cautiously approaching her bed. “We’re going to get you fresh clothes and new sheets, it is okay.”

Lorraine continued crying and when Jamie walked in and went to hug her, she shoved the little girl away, roughly. Her eyes widened when Jamie fell and she looked at her own hands with a mixture of horror and shock.

Jamie sniffled when she hit her head. “Mama,” she cried, running off to her mothers.

Lena felt at a loss, not knowing how to deal with Lorraine who was crying inconsolably and had portrayed a brief outburst of anger. She cringed when her daughter’s crying turned into screaming.

Kara wanted to cry along with Lorraine, that was how powerless she felt. Back on Krypton she’d helped a bit with Kal-El, but he was a calm baby who cried very little. Raising children, six children, was difficult, especially when all six of them were traumatized.

“Can you bring my piano here for a moment, El?” Lena asked in a whisper.

Kara didn’t ask why and went to get Lena’s piano, taking it into the bedroom where Lorraine was still crying and screaming.

Lena sat down behind her piano and began to play.

 

_Mama’s little girl paints the world with her magic wand_

_Mama’s little child breathes new life to the morning time for me_

_Though we’re apart, her thoughts follow me_

_When I come home, Lorraine smiles with the dawn_

_Lorraine smiles, and she radiates the glow around her halo_

_When she plays, Lorraine smiles_

_On a summer day, Lorraine smiles_

_A new day, Lorraine smiles_

 

Kara listened as Lena played and sang. She breathed out in relief when Lorraine’s cries slowly subsided. “Can you hop out of bed, sweetie?” she asked gently, smiling. “I’m going to put new sheets on your bed, it’s all good.”

Lorraine ran out of the bedroom, into the kitchen where Jamie was rubbing at her eyes. “I’m sorry, Jamie,” she said, chewing her bottom lip.

Jamie looked up at Lorraine and smiled, stepping forward to hug her. She frowned when her cousin tensed. “I forgive you,” she replied, still smiling as she let Lorraine go.

“Forgive,” Lorraine whispered, tilting her head to the side. She looked at her hands and shook her head.

Lizzie exited her bedroom and wrapped her arms around Kara’s leg, wailing when Kara tried to place her in the high chair.

Kara ended up having to eat breakfast with Lizzie clinging to her neck and she had to feed her because her youngest daughter refused to let go. Meanwhile her other children did their best to sit as far away from everyone else as possible, nearly sitting on each other’s laps to do so.

“I’d like to have a look around that facility,” Alex said to Lena. “Would you mind?”

Lena shook her head. “I can take you there later, after breakfast,” she answered, sighing as she thought of all the paperwork she hadn’t read yet.

“I’m leaving to go to work in an hour,” Maggie shared, coughing while she tried to glance at the children with subtlety.

“My niece, my wife and I will manage,” Astra said with confidence.

“Three to seven isn’t a bad ratio,” Lena rationalized, thinking how three adults babysitting seven children shouldn’t be too bad. “And as a future reference, in my opinion there should always at least be three of us staying here,” she said, feeling like it would be too overwhelming otherwise.

“I agree with Lena,” Kara said, nodding. “We’ll have to communicate clearly.”

“I’ll be working from nine to five during the week,” Maggie announced. “For early mornings, evenings and weekends, I’ll be here.”

“I’m going to be here, aside from the few occasions when I look into something or visit the DEO,” Alex said thoughtfully.

“Well, Star and I are pretty much going to be here twenty-four seven,” Lucy said, filling her plate. “J’onn has assigned me to stay here to keep an eye on things, so that works for me.”

“I choose my own hours, though I do need to make an appearance at L-Corp again eventually,” Lena said, not going to take a prolonged vacation because it would raise unwanted questions. “In a week or so, I am going back to work, although I’ll make sure to match my hours to all of yours.”

Kara wanted to visit the facility as well to properly look around and see what she could find, but at the same time she wasn’t sure if she wanted to learn more than she had so far. That one night she’d seen too much already, caught too many glimpses of what the children must have been through.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Alex opened a freezer she’d found in a room at the facility, eyes wide when she saw it contained lifeless bodies of children. She swallowed hard, counting six of them, which meant these were the six children Lillian had killed.

“Did you find any – oh my god,” Lena said, tears filling her eyes at the sight of the dead children in the freezer. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head roughly as tears slid down her cheeks.

The night Lena found the children Logan had told her the first six had been killed, but she didn’t think their bodies were going to be at this facility, placed in a freezer. It was a morbid sight and made her throw up. Scars littered the bodies of her six dead children, six children she never got to know.

Alex abruptly shut the freezer, knowing she’d never get rid of that mental image and neither would Lena. “Do you want to get some fresh air outside?” she asked, resting a hand on Lena’s shoulder.

Lena nodded and allowed Alex to guide her outside. “She needs to pay for this,” she hissed, anger filtering through her pain. “She tortured my children and murdered six of them.”

“We can make sure she never gets out of prison,” Alex replied, rubbing Lena’s back. “She’ll never see the light of day again.”

“Prison is too merciful. She has a bed there each night and food every day, which is a lot more than she ever gave my children,” Lena said angrily. “I want her to suffer the way she made my children suffer.”

“Lena, look at me, focus,” Alex said, voice calm. “I know you’re angry and you’re hurt, but revenge isn’t the answer. You’re better than her. If you take revenge, it won’t make you feel better and it won’t change what happened. Believe me when I say I’d make her choke on her own blood if I could, but that’s not who I am and it’s not who you are either.”

“If she ever sets foot outside of prison, I will kill her,” Lena promised, not caring she shouldn’t have said that to an agent. “Not based upon revenge, but because I want to ensure she’ll never be near my children ever again.”

Alex grasped Lena’s wrist when she went to enter the facility again. “Are you sure you want to continue?” she asked, frowning. “I could send a team here to skim through this place instead or we could come back another day.”

“I want to get this over with,” Lena answered, sighing. “But I would appreciate you calling a team in because I’d like to bury those children,” she said in a whisper. “We can’t leave them in the freezer like pieces of meat.”

“I’ll page J’onn,” Alex replied, nodding. “A team should be here in less than an hour.”

“Do you think it is crazy I feel like I lost half of my children when I never knew this half?”

“No, that’s not crazy,” Alex answered with a sad smile. “Losing a child is each parent’s nightmare and you may not have known them, but they were your children. It’s understandable you’re hurt that they’re gone.”

“I don’t want Kara to see their bodies,” Lena said, the image imprinted in her mind. They had so many scars and other wounds and they were sickly skinny. Their skin looked ashen and the smell made her want to throw up all over again. “It would break her heart.”

“I’ll check the other rooms to make sure there aren’t any other unpleasant surprises,” Alex said as she wandered off.

Lena nodded and felt everything spinning. What her mother had done was too much. She knew Lillian was cold-hearted, but what she had done went much further than that. Her whole body shuddered as everything turned black. The concrete was hard as she fell and Alex’s voice was a distant echo.

“No, she still has a pulse, sir,” Alex said, sighing loudly. “It must have been the shock that knocked her out.”

Lena came to when a strong smell greeted her nostrils. “Is that… Starbucks?” she asked, frowning at the large cup in Alex’s hand.

“Mhmm,” Alex hummed, holding the cup out to Lena. “I figured you could use some coffee.”

“Probably something stronger than coffee, but I’ll settle for it,” Lena replied, sitting up and accepting the cup. “I hadn’t meant to pass out, I can usually stomach a lot, but after what I saw… I couldn’t stomach that,” she explained, cringing at the mental image.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Alex said, squeezing Lena’s shoulder. “You feeling any better?”

“A little lightheaded,” Lena answered truthfully, touching her fingertips to her forehead. “But this coffee should help.”

“There’s a team here now, they’ll take care of things,” Alex replied, glancing around while agents were collecting things from the facility. The bodies were already bagged up, so Lena didn’t have to see them again. “I’ll take you home. You can lean on me if you feel dizzy.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mentions of drowning.

Kara stirred in Lena’s arms, frowning when she heard something. If she’d fallen asleep she might have missed it, but so far she hadn’t been able to.

Lena blinked her eyes open. “What is it?” she asked in a whisper, noticing Kara seemed restless.

“I think I heard a window opening,” Kara answered, listening in, sure it wasn’t upstairs. Her eyes widened when she heard the sound of quick footsteps sprinting through sand, combined with ragged breaths. “Oh Rao, the children,” she whispered, gasping.

Lena sat up and got out of bed, immediately wanting to check up on the children. The part about the window didn’t sound promising and gave her the ability to sketch a picture of what might have been happening.

Kara was out of the door in a split second, still wearing her pajamas, when she heard the sound of a splash in the water, followed by a lot more splashes. She reached the ocean fast, shocked to see Lyra spluttering in the water, unable to swim.

Lyra screamed while she flailed her arms, getting water into her mouth in between screams, which grew gurgled.

Kara jumped into the water and wrapped her arms around her daughter. She knew being touched wasn’t ideal for Lyra, but she had to get her out of the water, so she had no other choice. “It’s okay, baby, mommy got you,” she said, swimming towards the shore, unsure how her daughter would feel about flying. “You’re safe,” she whispered, kissing the top of Lyra’s head.

Lena was running towards the ocean, biting back tears as she saw Kara dragging one of their children out of the water. She should have locked the windows, should have made sure their children wouldn’t be able to open them. It was foolish she hadn’t even considered one of them might try to run away, especially not towards the water.

Lyra coughed up water and cried as she shivered. She flung her arms around Kara and clung to her.

“You’re going to be okay,” Kara whispered whilst rubbing Lyra’s back. “Mommy’s got you, you’re safe,” she said, gently rocking her daughter in her arms.

“Hey, sweetie,” Lena whispered, her voice cracking slightly. “What were you doing outside?” she asked Lyra. “We were really worried about you.”

Lyra tightened her grip on Kara and hid her face in her neck. “Running away,” she answered, muffled. “’M sorry,” she whispered, holding onto Kara impossibly tighter, as if she was her anchor.

“I’m going to get you back home and get you some warm clothes,” Kara said, standing up with Lyra. “Mama and I would miss you terribly if you’d run away.”

“I’ll make you some hot chocolate,” Lena said to Lyra, reaching out to rub her back.

Together they walked back inside, where Lizzie and Jamie stood outside of their bedroom.

Lizzie rubbed her eyes and stumbled forward, wrapping her arms around Lena’s legs. “I love,” she whispered, yawning.

Lena bent down and hoisted Lizzie up. “Mama loves you, too,” she said, hugging her youngest daughter.

Kara went to the bathroom with Lyra to get her out of her soaked pajama. She could hear Lena telling Jamie everything was okay and that she should go back to bed. She also heard how Lizzie whined when Lena tried to get her back in bed.

Lyra’s eyes were red from crying. “I was scared,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as Kara took her top off.

“Do you want to tell me what scared you, sweetheart?” Kara asked silently, grabbing a towel.

“Madam’s people were meanies, but one of them was kind to us,” Lyra answered while she began to cry all over again. “He was giving us extra food and said he was our friend. We liked him, but then he hurt us and I’m scared you and Lena are going to hurt us because you’re nice like he was. If we like you, you’ll hurt us.”

Kara’s heart broke upon hearing how her children’s trust had been betrayed by one of Lillian’s people. It was probably just another sick play the eldest Luthor had designed to torture the children. Lillian must have been making sure they wouldn’t attach to anyone, wouldn’t trust anyone.

“I would never hurt you or your sisters or your brothers,” Kara promised.

Lyra’s lip quivered. “That’s what he said,” she replied, sobbing.

“I love you, Lyra,” Kara whispered, helping her daughter into warm pajamas. “I’m going to look after you. If anyone wants to harm you or anything, I’ll tell them to stay away,” she said, combing Lyra’s hair. “Shoo naughty ocean, stay away,” she whispered, smiling when her daughter smiled a little bit.

“Shoo,” Lyra whispered.

“There, all warm and dry,” Kara said, keeping her hands to her sides, unsure if she could reach out or not. Something about having pulled Lyra out of the water must have made something click in her daughter’s head. “How about we go see if Lena has that hot chocolate for us?”

“Okay, mommy,” Lyra answered, grasping Kara’s hand.

Kara paused for a moment, lips slightly parted, feeling surprised Lyra had called her mommy and had reached for her hand. She cleared her throat to focus, before her daughter would think she did something wrong. Now wouldn’t be a good time to get all emotional and tear up.

Lena was in the kitchen with Lizzie who was clinging to her like a monkey. “Hello, sunshine,” she whispered, smiling at Kara. Her eyes dropped to where Lyra was holding Kara’s hand. “The hot chocolate is a little warm, so you’ll have to blow it.”

“Thank you, mama,” Lyra whispered.

Lena’s eyes widened, but when she looked at Kara she was met by a sheepish smile. She touched a hand to her chest, wanting to silence her hammering heart. “You’re welcome, baby girl,” she replied, hesitantly reaching out to caress Lyra’s cheek, slow enough for her daughter to pull back if she’d want to. Her hand was shaking as she caressed Lyra’s cheek, moved by the fact that she was allowed to.

Once they all finished their hot chocolate milk, Kara and Lena went back to bed, taking Lizzie and Lyra with them as they clung to them.

“I love,” Lizzie yawned, curling her fingers in Lena’s shirt.

“I love,” Lyra repeated like a parrot, nuzzling closer to Kara.

Lena wept silently after Lizzie and Lyra fell asleep. She was truly a mother and the fact that Lyra had called her mama meant so much to her. When they’d been drinking hot chocolate, Lizzie had mimicked Lyra and had called her mama too.

“Are you okay, Lee?” Kara asked in a whisper. Even in the dark she could see the wetness on Lena’s cheeks.

“Yes, I’m fine, El,” Lena answered silently, a bit broken. “I’m emotional, that’s all.”

Kara smiled as she looked at their daughters who were sandwiched between them. “These are our girls, can you believe it?” she whispered, amazed.

“It feels surreal for me as well,” Lena replied quietly. “They’re beautiful, every single one of them.”

“Of course they are, you’re gorgeous, no wonder they’re beautiful,” Kara whispered, smiling while Lena chucked silently.

“Speak for yourself,” Lena whispered, winking. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Look at us, best friends, raising six children,” Kara whispered, sighing. “It’s almost as if we’re actually married.”

“If anyone would assume you’re my wife, I certainly wouldn’t mind,” Lena whispered sincerely. “It would be flattering for anyone to think so. You’re quite the catch with all your dorky quirks.”

“Oh so I’m a dork?” Kara replied, smiling. “Said the nerd,” she teased.

Lena felt her stomach flutter, which was something that happened sometimes when she spent time with Kara. She liked the positive energy that radiated off of her best friend. “Goodnight, baby dinosaur,” she whispered when Kara yawned all cutesy.

“You’re lucky I don’t want to wake up our daughters with your shrieking,” Kara whispered. “But you’re still a pterodactyl.”

“Always a flatterer, Miss Danvers,” Lena replied, smiling.

“Sure thing, wifey,” Kara teased. She kissed her fingers and then stretched them out to touch Lena’s forehead with them, as a way of kissing her goodnight. “Goodnight, Lee.”

Lena grasped Kara’s fingers and kissed her knuckles. “Goodnight, El,” she whispered, letting go.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The closeness Lyra had begun to develop with Kara and Lena didn’t extend to the other adults, not even a week after she nearly drowned. She flinched away when Lucy tried to clean her mouth with a napkin.

“I’ll get it,” Kara said, taking the napkin from Lucy. “Thanks, Luce,” she whispered with a sad sympathetic look before turning to Lyra with a smile. “I think your chin ate more than your mouth,” she said to her daughter, chuckling as Lyra smiled very faintly.

Lizzie’s clinginess had grown worse to the point where she clung to everyone. At first Jamie was all smiley about the huge amount of hugs she received, but her excitement faded when Lizzie’s hugs became too tight. It had reached the point where Jamie ran away and hid when Lizzie tried to hug her.

Astra chuckled at the way Lizzie kept spilling food onto her lap. Her attention was drawn when her wife hissed when she reached out to sip her coffee. “Careful, dear one,” she said, frowning ever so slightly.

Lucy sighed and gazed at the bandage around her right wrist, which she had Lizzie to thank for. Two days ago the little girl had been clinging to her and had broken her wrist in the process. The children’s powers were quite the trip.

Lena had noticed how Larissa and Lucius hadn’t stopped staring at her throughout breakfast, chewing their bottom lip. “Yes, sweethearts?” she asked, gazing at Larissa and Lucius.

Lucius glanced at Larissa and nodded.

“Can we play piano with you again today, Lena?” Larissa asked, still using her name to address her, even though it was already clear who she was asking.

“Please and thank you, Lena,” Lucius added.

Lena planned to go back to L-Corp soon. However, it didn’t have to be today. “Of course you can,” she answered with a warm smile. “There are a few beautiful pieces I’d love to teach you.”

Kara had a feeling her oldest daughter and her youngest son were taking a shine to Lena. They seemed mesmerized whenever Lena played the piano, although she could fully understand that feeling. It did something to her as well when Lena played, even more so when she let Larissa and Lucius join her. It gave her a strange warm feeling inside, a picture perfect kind of feeling.

“I’ll be back tonight,” Maggie said, standing up. “Have a good day, babe,” she whispered to her wife, kissing her lips. “Can mama get a hug, baby girl?” she asked Jamie, smiling.

Jamie smiled and hopped off of her chair to hug her mother.

Lizzie pouted and reached her hands out. “I love,” she said, clenching and unclenching her fingers.

“Maybe one little hug,” Maggie said, slowly approaching Lizzie. “I hope she won’t break my ribs,” she chuckled, though she sounded nervous.

Kara winced when she heard Maggie groan and saw her aunt peeling Lizzie’s fingers away from Maggie. “On the plus side, I didn’t hear any of your bones breaking,” she said, offering that as a mild comfort.

“Kara,” Lorraine whispered, tears in her eyes when she held a piece of the table in her hand that she’d broken off. “What’s happening to us?” she asked, lip quivering as she stared at her own hands.

Lena swallowed and shared a look with Kara. “I think they’re not used to their powers,” she whispered, sighing when Kara nodded.

Everyone, save from Kara and Astra, jumped away from the table when Lucius cut it in half with his heat vision, causing all of the plates and everything else to fall down onto the floor.

Lucius covered his eyes with his hands and shivered like a leaf. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I swear,” he whimpered, crying.

 


	11. Chapter 11

“There, that should do it,” Kara said, nodding approvingly. “You can all open your eyes now.”

Logan opened his eyes first, frowning as he touched the glasses that were covering his eyes. “You gave us glasses like Harry Potter, Kara,” he observed, feeling around the frame.

“These glasses are magical, like mine,” Kara said, to add a special touch to it all for her children. At least those glasses should help keep their heat vision and x-ray vision under control.

Lucius slowly opened his eyes, gasping when nothing happened. “It stopped,” he whispered to Logan, who immediately nudged him. “Thank you, Kara.”

“You’re welcome, my sweet son,” Kara replied, smiling. “Each one of you has powers, just like me, and I know this can be a bit scary at first, but I’m going to help all of you. Astra has the same powers and she’s going to help as well.”

“Magic snowflakes,” Lucius whispered, silencing himself when Logan nudged him.

Kara sighed silently. “Logan, sweetie, you don’t have to nudge your siblings when they speak, okay?” she commented with a soft tone, hoping not to come across as angry or reprimanding. “You’re all free to talk and tell me things or tell each other things.”

“Okay, Kara,” Logan replied, staring at the floor.

“It’s very cool of you to look out for your siblings,” Kara said to Logan, knowing he meant well. “I wish I’d have had such a great big brother.”

Lucius and Larissa glanced at the piano when Lena began to play, but otherwise they remained frozen in place.

Lena paused for a moment and turned around, smiling at her youngest son and her oldest daughter. “I’m missing two assistants,” she said, beckoning them closer.

Lucius and Larissa took their time to walk over to Lena and sit down next to her, although they made sure to leave as much distance as possible and avoided brushing against Lena.

Lena felt like the fact they weren’t shivering was already an improvement. Perhaps one day, she would truly be able to play piano with them, to hold their hands to guide them if they pressed the wrong keys. She played a few notes and then stopped to let her children have a try.

Larissa cracked her knuckles before she began to play. “Like this, Lena?” she asked, pressing the keys Lena had pressed.

“Yes, sweetheart, very good,” Lena answered appraisingly. “Go ahead, sweetie,” she said gently to Lucius. She tried not to wince as he, too, cracked his knuckles before he began to play. Despite being aware they weren’t human, she worried they’d end up breaking something. They appeared so fragile in her eyes.

“This isn’t the same thing we played last time, Lena,” Lucius observed.

“You’re right, it’s not,” Lena confirmed with a smile. “Did you like the other one more?”

Lucius nodded.

“I liked it better, too, Lena,” Larissa said silently. “I’m sorry,” she immediately apologized, eyes widening behind her glasses.

“Thank you for telling me, sweetie,” Lena replied gently, relieved when Larissa’s tensed shoulders sagged. She hoped that one day, her children wouldn’t be afraid anymore to speak their mind. “We can play the other piece,” she suggested, wiggling her fingers rather than cracking them. “Do you remember how to play it?” she asked, glancing between Lucius and Larissa.

“Only a little bit, Lena,” Lucius answered, eyes shifting over the keys.

“Okay, try,” Lena said, encouraging her youngest son with a smile.

Lucius worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “What if I get it wrong, Lena?” he asked, frowning.

“If you get it wrong, you can try again,” Lena answered simply. “I can help if you’d like and if you’re in doubt, you can always ask me.”

“Are you going to be mad if I we hit the wrong key, Lena?” Larissa asked, a crinkle appearing between her eyebrows.

“Never,” Lena promised, making a cross over her heart. “Playing an instrument takes time and patience, a little trial and error. Sometimes by pressing what you think is the wrong key, you may discover a different melody. Not a bad one, simply a different one and it may turn out beautiful.”

“Mama,” Lizzie mumbled, putting her arms around Lena from behind. “Mama, up,” she said with urgency.

“Not now, sweetie,” Lena replied, struggling slightly with the fact she was turning her youngest daughter down. Right now she was playing piano with Lucius and Larissa and she couldn’t always give in whenever Lizzie wanted to cling to her. “No, Lizzie,” she said when her youngest daughter pouted.

“I love,” Lizzie said, pouting as she raised her arms up.

“I love you, too,” Lena replied, caressing Lizzie’s cheek. “But right now mama can’t hold you because she’s playing piano with your brother and your sister.”

“Lizzie up,” Lizzie cried, stomping her foot onto the floor.

Logan walked up to Lizzie and knelt down next to her, whispering in her ear.

Lizzie wailed and pushed Logan away. “Lizzie up!” she shouted at Lena.

“Hey, baby girl,” Kara said to Lizzie, crouching down next to her. “Mama is a bit busy now, how about you go play with your dolls, hm?” she suggested, wiping her daughter’s tears away.

“No,” Lizzie pouted, pushing Kara, which had the other children gasp.

“I am so very sorry, Kara and Lena,” Logan apologized, dipping his head.

Lena was stunned her two year old was throwing a temper tantrum. God, the thought of how outraged that would have made her mother caused her to shiver. As a child she never threw any tantrums, knowing better than doing so. She had no idea how to handle this situation, but what she did know was that she felt displeased and wouldn’t allowed Lizzie to always get her way.

Of course Lena wanted to shelter her youngest daughter with lots of love and hugs, but she couldn’t let Lizzie cling to her whenever she pleased. There had to be limits and boundaries and a certain independency. She also needed to be able to spend some of her time with the rest of her children.

Lizzie grabbed on to Lena’s arm, but she used too much strength.

“Sweetie, you’re hurting mama,” Lena said, keeping her voice calm as pain pulsed through her arm.

Lizzie wailed when Kara broke the contact.

Kara felt like she couldn’t really punish Lizzie because it wasn’t like she hurt Lena on purpose and certainly her best friend wouldn’t want to punish her for that either, although at the same time she felt a time out of sorts was needed. Her youngest daughter should have listened to Lena when she said no, but it wasn’t easy to explain they needed to be obedient while conveying they weren’t prisoners.

Lizzie sniffled and wrapped herself around Kara.

“Sweetie, listen to me,” Kara whispered, untangling Lizzie to put her down. She held both of her daughter’s hands and gazed into her eyes, kneeling to be at eye-level. “It’s not okay to push people. You can’t push mama or me or your siblings or other people. When someone says no, it means no.”

Lizzie yanked her hands out of Kara’s grip and ran towards Logan, hiding behind his legs.

“Lizzie is sorry, Kara,” Logan said, remaining in front of Lizzie.

“I’d rather hear that from Lizzie personally, Logan,” Kara replied, never raising her voice. “No, out of her own accord,” she said when she saw Logan open his mouth to say something to Lizzie. “When she’s ready,” she added.

Lorraine’s lip trembled while she looked at Lena, who was nursing her arm. “Are we monsters, Lena and Kara?” she asked, teary-eyed.

“No, sweetheart, absolutely not,” Lena answered, shaking her head.

“Never,” Kara chimed in. “The six of you are our angels, our little miracles and there is nothing monstrous about any of you.”

“B-but,” Lorraine replied, wincing when Logan gave her a look. “I’m sorry, I just… I was thinking.”

“What were you thinking, sweetie?” Lena asked Lorraine, nodding once to let her know it was okay to speak her mind.

Lorraine gulped and walked back until she ended up against the wall. “Lizzie hurt Lucy and Lena, and we’ve been breaking things,” she said, slumping down against the wall. “Th-that makes us mo-monsters, like madam.”

Larissa gasped. “Take that back, number nine,” she whispered to Lorraine. “We’re not allowed to speak negatively about madam.”

“She was a monster,” Kara said, speaking up, casting Lena an apologetic look. “But the six of you are nothing like her. You didn’t break anything on purpose and didn’t hurt anyone on purpose.”

“Larissa, darling, don’t call your sister by a number,” Lena reprimanded gently. “You all have names.”

Larissa nodded and sighed. “I’m sorry, Lena,” she said, pushing her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena knelt down on the sand near the water, fisting bits of sands in her hands as she tried to relax while she listened to the sounds of the waves. She had needed to get some fresh air, so she had excused herself. Her arm still hurt somewhat, but it wasn’t broken. By tomorrow all she’d have left of the incident would be a couple of bruises. It felt like she took one step forward with her children only to take two steps back. Lizzie’s closeness had been adorable at first and welcome, though by now it was obvious it was too much.

Kara wordlessly sat down next to Lena and looped an arm around her, pulling her into a sideways hug, stroking her back.

Lena exhaled slowly and tipped her head, resting it on Kara’s shoulder. “I could have stopped things from escalating,” she whispered, letting the tears she held back go, knowing she didn’t need to hold back with her best friend.

“Lizzie needs to learn that no means no, it’s not your fault things escalated, Lee,” Kara replied, turning her face to the side to look at Lena. “You’re so gentle with our children and I can see how you love them wholeheartedly.”

“I’m never certain if the decisions I make are right or if they’re actually wrong,” Lena confessed, afraid their children might not be in such good hands with her. “It breaks my heart that our children think they’re monsters. They can tell they’re different from Jamie and they think that’s a bad thing.”

“My aunt and I will help them with their powers, together we’ll show them having these extraordinary abilities doesn’t make them monsters,” Kara said reassuringly, caressing Lena’s cheek. Rao, she wanted to take her best friend’s pain away, wanted to absorb it all. “Perhaps we can compare it with Harry Potter. They see him as magical, so we can teach them they’re magical, too.”

Lena faced Kara and gave her a proper hug, not a sideways half-assed hug. “I’m relieved to have you here,” she whispered, running her hands through her friend’s hair. “You are what’s keeping me on my feet, El.”

“I think you really underestimate yourself too much, Lee,” Kara whispered, smiling as she rested their foreheads against one another. “If only you could see yourself through my eyes, you’d understand,” she said, seeing so much in Lena.

Lena shuddered upon feeling Kara’s breath bouncing against her lips. Their closeness was intoxicating and it wasn’t the first time her thoughts crossed the platonic line. If Kara could see herself through her eyes, it might ruin their friendship because then she’d know that sometimes, she didn’t look at her like a friend should.

Kara’s eyes flitted down briefly to Lena’s lips, which looked so natural now that there was no cherry red lipstick smeared across them. Friends didn’t stare at their friend’s lips, it was awkward and she shouldn’t do that. Oh Rao, they were having an emotional moment and meanwhile she found herself in a stupor.

“We should probably head back inside,” Lena whispered, frowning when Kara startled. “Is everything alright, El?”

“Hm? Yes, alright is everything,” Kara answered, groaning when she heard what she said. “Oh Rao, can we please pretend I didn’t fall over my words like a…I don’t know.”

“Like a dork?” Lena sufficed, chuckling while Kara smiled. The redness that appeared on her friend’s face must have been shame. “I’ll let it slide if you give me an actual answer,” she offered as a compromise.

 


	12. Chapter 12

“Alright, troops,” Lucy said, marching around in front of the new kitchen table, a playful smile on her face.

“Troops?” Kara asked, shaking her head.

Lucy shrugged and didn’t drop her smile.

Kara wondered how long this day was going to be. She missed having Lena around, who’d after two weeks had decided to go back to L-Corp before her secretary would think she was abducted or something.

The children sat around the table, staring at the large amount of glasses that were placed on top of the table.

Jamie was gone with Alex to go walk the dogs and wouldn’t return anytime soon, since Jamie had been hiding even more from the other children, Lizzie in particular.

Kara knew the excuse of walking the dogs was used to get Jamie out of the house for a couple of hours and to ensure her children wouldn’t question her absence. “This is not the army, Luce,” she whispered to her friend as a reminder.

“Yeah, yeah, I got this,” Lucy replied, winking. “So, children,” she said, clapping her hands together, which made the children flinch.

Oh yes, Kara could totally see how Lucy had it all under control. Such a promising start, truly.

“Okay then,” Lucy whispered, dropping her hands, clearing her throat. “In front of you there are many glasses,” she said to the children. “Today we are going to teach all of you how to grasp a glass without breaking it.”

Kara had to admit such a lesson would come in handy, since they’d been using metal cups after the glasses kept being broken by her children, accidentally.

“Practice is key,” Lucy said, sticking her finger up. “My lovely, se- um, sensitive wife, shall demonstrate.”

Kara sighed quietly. This day would be truly something with Lena being at work, Maggie also working and her sister being out with Jamie.

“Think of the glass like-”

“Ahem,” Kara said, fake coughing to interrupt Lucy. “Perhaps you should let an actual Kryptonian explain,” she suggested, nodding her head towards her aunt.

“Fair point,” Lucy replied, retracting her finger. “Sustained,” she said, nodding.

Kara rolled her eyes. First the army stuff and now the court stuff, Lucy was a real piece of work.

Astra grasped a glass, holding it lightly in her hand. “Finding the right pressure can be tricky at first,” she said to the children. “A glass for example, such as this one, is fragile and can easily be broken. When I visualize holding a glass, I think of it as wanting to hold a butterfly, very gently to avoid damaging its wings,” she explained.

“Try to picture a pillow, something soft,” Kara suggested to her children.

“You can do this, troops,” Lucy said, holding her thumbs up. “What?” she asked Kara, shrugging. “I’m here for moral support.”

Logan was the first to reach out for a glass while the other children waited. He sighed when it broke immediately. Narrowing his eyes, he reached out for a second glass and a third.

Astra observed the oldest boy curiously.

Kara was proud to see how Logan didn’t give up, how he kept going even when glass after glass broke. He might break them all by himself, but she’d go get new ones so all of her children could try until they’d get the hang of it.

“It keeps breaking,” Logan said, slamming his fist down onto the table, gasping when the table broke down.

There was no doubt all the glasses were broken now as they all fell onto the floor.

“I’ll clean it up,” Lucy said, but before she could take one step, her wife stopped her.

“Glass is sharp,” Astra whispered, shaking her head. “I shall clean this.”

“Fantastic,” Lucy muttered silently. “I get my wrist broken once and suddenly I’m made out of porcelain.”

“I’m proud of you, Logan,” Kara said to her son, smiling. She rushed to explain when he looked confused. “You didn’t give up and that’s good. Yes, all the glasses broke and so did the table, but we can replace all of those and then you can try again.”

“I so wouldn’t want to be in Lena’s shoes,” Lucy whispered to Kara, chuckling. “I know she’s rich, but damn, she’s going to have lost a fortune by the time they grow up. I can see the headlines in ten years from now; Lena Luthor declared broke, spotted on the streets wearing sweatpants.”

“That’s not funny,” Kara replied, groaning because Lena might kill her. She’d help pay, but even with her increased paycheck she couldn’t even manage to buy enough food, let alone anything else. It wasn’t like she could tell Miss Grant how her six children each ate for six, which meant she could only really maintain one of her children with her paycheck.

Their weekly grocery expenses alone were off the chains and they all shopped in different stores so it wouldn’t look strange for one of them to exit a store with a mountain of food. Even random agents from the DEO would go to stores for them to divide it more. Sometimes J’onn himself took a few hours to shape shift into different people to bring them groceries. They took those measurements to make sure no questions would be asked.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena felt relieved her secretary didn’t say anything when she said she’d spend the weekend at home. She couldn’t work daily anymore, not with six children she needed to raise. It would be unfair towards Kara and the others who had selflessly moved in with them if she’d be off to work every day and leave them with the children.

Kara bolted upright when she heard footsteps outside, which was strange considering they lived far away from other people. Nobody wandered off to Lena’s beach house, especially not for as long as it wouldn’t be summer.

“What’s wrong?” Lena asked, watching Kara glancing at the children as if she was making sure they were all there.

Kara’s mind was slightly eased when she saw none of her children were missing. Lyra was playing with Krypto and Lizzie, while the older children were building a house made out of blocks with Jamie. It was nice to see them all play together. However, her children did keep some distance from her niece.

“Someone is here,” Astra said, narrowing her eyes at the door.

Alex rolled up a magazine and approached the door. Her gun would be better, but she didn’t want to freak out the children and with two Kryptonian adults nearby, she wasn’t worried.

Maggie nodded at her wife and swung the door open.

“What are you doing here?” Alex asked, grumbling as she tossed the magazine aside.

“Ever the grumpy cat,” Ivy answered, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Alex’s cheek. “What a pleasure it is to see you again.”

“Keep those lips of yours to yourself,” Alex muttered, rubbing her cheek.

Kara sighed and crossed her arms. “What do you want, Ivy?” she asked, not happy when she saw Ivy brought company.

“Can’t ya spare a smile?” Harley asked, poking Kara’s cheeks.

“We’re here to talk, chill, blondie,” Leslie said to Kara. “We come in peace,” she added, grinning as she held her hands up. “By the way, these little monsters are Vladimir and Lilith. He’s eleven, she’s six.”

Lena mentally cursed when her children eyed Leslie and from the looks on their faces, they heard her calling Vladimir and Lilith monsters. It was a very poor choice of words and sure, maybe they wouldn’t be angels given they were the joker’s children, but she wasn’t going to judge them for that. As a Luthor, that would be highly hypocritical of her to do.

Vladimir had slick black hair that was smoothed back with gel and his eyes were green. He stalked up to Larissa and promptly took one of her hands in his. “Shall I call you beautiful or shall I call you tonight?” he asked, winking before pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

Larissa pulled her hand away and took a step back.

“Keep your son in check,” Lena said to Harley, shocked to have seen that boy trying to be all smooth, with her ten year old! “Are you okay, sweetie?” she softly asked Larissa.

Larissa nodded and backed away again when Vladimir approached her.

“No,” Logan said lowly, stepping between Larissa and Vladimir. “Touch her and I’ll break your hand.”

Kara’s jaw dropped, not believing her own ears. It was the first time she’d heard her oldest son threatening someone. Maybe Logan realized what he was capable of, but his powers shouldn’t be used for violence.

Vladimir smirked, but did retrieve his hand. “What happened to your face?” he asked, moving his eyes over the large scar on Logan’s face. “Did someone claw you?”

“That’s enough, Vlad,” Leslie said, sighing.

Vladimir scoffed. “You’re not my mother,” he replied, huffing.

“Don’t be a bully,” Lilith said to Vladimir, walking past him. Unlike her brother, she had blonde locks and baby blue eyes. “What’s your dog’s name?” she asked Lyra.

“Krypto, Lilith,” Lyra answered, chewing on her lip.

“Call me Lily,” Lilith replied, smiling. “What’s your name?”

“Lyra, Lily,” Lyra answered, shifting a bit when Lilith came closer.

“Lyra Lily? That’s a fun name,” Lilith commented, chuckling. “I think Lyra is a pretty name.”

“Talk about what?” Kara asked Leslie, focusing, although her gaze kept shifting towards the children.

“This is Gertrude,” Lorraine whispered to Lilith. “She belongs to Jamie, Alex and Maggie.”

“I love,” Lizzie said, wrapping her arms around Lilith.

The movement alarmed Kara and Lena, especially when Lilith yelped.

“Lizzie, you’re hurting my friend,” Lyra whispered, pouting.

Lizzie pouted back as she let Lilith go.

Lena shared a shocked expression with Kara. Lyra had called Lilith her friend, just like that.

“The children are harmless,” Ivy said to Kara and Lena. “Why so tense, Agent Danvers?” she asked Alex, eyes full of mirth.

“How did you know where we live?” Kara asked, sighing loudly.

“When I want to find people I do,” Leslie answered.

“Right, that’s why you can’t find the person who stole a rare medicinal plant from Ivy,” Lucy jabbed, smirking slightly. “Impressive tracking skills, Livewire,” she teased.

“A piano,” Vladimir said, walking up to it. He settled down and began to play without asking.

“You can play, Vladimir?” Larissa asked, tilting her head as she watched him.

“Yes, angel,” Vladimir answered, pausing to reach out for Larissa. “I will play a piece for you, my sweets.”

“I want that boy out of here,” Lena whispered in Kara’s ear. “Would it be unreasonable to show an eleven year old the door?”

“This is your house, you can show anyone the door,” Kara reasoned. “Especially that boy,” she agreed, feeling her skin crawl at the way he acted as if he was Romeo with Larissa being his Juliet.

“Hey!” Vladimir shrieked when Logan grasped his ankle and lifted him up.

Logan wordlessly walked over to the door, put Vladimir down and shut the door in his face.

“How about ya keep yer son in check,” Harley said to Lena. “So rude.”

“I love that kid’s attitude,” Leslie mumbled, grinning.

“What ya say?” Harley asked Leslie, cupping her ear.

Leslie shrugged. “Nothing, babe,” she answered, grabbing Harley’s hand. “Maybe we should go. We don’t appear to be welcome.”

“Another time then,” Ivy said with a bitter smile. “Lilith, we are leaving.”

Lyra pouted when Lilith walked away. “Does my friend really have to go, mommy?” she asked, looking up at Kara. “Mama?” she asked, shifting her eyes towards Lena.

Lena didn’t feel comfortable having Leslie, Harley and Ivy in her house with their two children, although Lilith seemed polite and she hated disappointing Lyra when she’d made her first friend. What kind of mother would she be if she wouldn’t let her daughter play with another child?

Kara’s shoulders sagged and she could see how Alex, Maggie, Lucy and Astra had dropped their defensive demeanor as well. Perhaps letting Leslie, Harley, Ivy and their two children stay for an hour or so wouldn’t be the end of the world.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for death, torture and abuse being mentioned.   
> _________________________________________________________

A loud scream pierced through the beach house, followed by a thump as Kara fell out of bed in her haste to wake up. Krypto and Gertrude began to bark, as if the scream alone hadn’t woken everyone up yet.

Lena lifted the covers and slipped out of bed, extending a hand to Kara to help her up on her feet. “It doesn’t sound like Lizzie or Lyra,” she said, which would be her initial thought. “Also not like Lorraine,” she concluded, since this scream was different.

“The boys,” Kara replied, swinging their bedroom door open.

Lena followed Kara towards their sons’ bedroom and once their door was open, she saw it was Logan who was screaming, but his eyes were closed. “Logan, sweetheart,” she whispered, tiptoeing towards his bed.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Kara said to Lucius, who was half hiding under his sheets.

Logan was trashing in his bed, bits of his sheets fisted in his hands.

“Logan, mama is here sweetheart,” Lena whispered, slowly reaching her hands out. “You’re having a nightmare, it’s not real.”

Logan’s eyes snapped open and he flinched away.

Lena tried not to wince as Logan’s head collided with the wall, although she knew he couldn’t get hurt that way. “You’re safe, sweetie,” she said softly, taking a step back to give her oldest son more personal space.

Logan cried and shook his head. “She killed them,” he whispered, shivering.

“Do you want to tell us what happened?” Kara asked Logan, moving a bit closer, but keeping some distance.

Lena frowned when Logan stared at her and whispered he only wanted her in the room.

“I’ll be down the hall,” Kara whispered to Lena, resting her hand on her shoulder.

Lena nodded and she felt for Kara, seeing a slight look of hurt in her eyes. She knew her best friend wanted to be there for their oldest son as much as she wanted to be. “May I sit here at the edge?” she asked Logan, once Kara was gone.

Logan nodded and stayed where he was, near the headboard of his bed. “Madam killed the first six,” he whispered, wringing his hands together. “They were created a few months before I was. Number one was created a year before me. We all knew them, but I don’t think Lizzie remembers them. She was too little when they were killed.”

Lucius crawled out of his bed and went to sit next to Logan. “We saw madam killing them,” he whispered, shuddering.

“Number one was kind to us,” Logan whispered. “She tried to give her food to the rest of us. Madam, she… she locked all of us up together. Lizzie could barely crawl at the time. The first six had knives and madam said they needed to kill us if they wanted to live. She said they needed to prove they would be loyal to her and obey her commands.”

“They refused to kill us,” Lucius whispered, tearing up. “They said we were innocent and little and madam said monsters are never innocent.”

“Madam made number one choose between killing Lizzie or Lyra, or else she would kill them both,” Logan whimpered, wiping his tears from his cheeks. “Number one said she would rather take her own life than any of ours. Madam called her a failed project and stabbed her in her chest with a green blade, the green that hurts us.”

Lena gripped the sheets and struggled not to cry, to be stronger than that for her sons. The mental images of the lifeless bodies she saw flashed before her eyes. What Lillian had done was beyond horrible and inhuman.

“Madam killed the other five as well, but she tortured them first and said it could be a lesson for us,” Logan whispered. “She said that one day we’d be given the same choice and we weren’t allowed to fail her. She was going to create six more, but she never did and then she disappeared.”

Lena had a bad feeling Lillian was trying to turn the children into numb killing machines who would obey her every command and kill anyone she told them to, even their own siblings. It was gruesome and made her want to vomit.

Lucius’ lip quivered. “Do you think madam will come back for us?” he asked, grasping Logan’s hand.

Lena pushed her feelings aside. Her sons were scared. They’d been through so much. “No, she’s never going to get any of you back,” she answered, hoping her voice didn’t sound broken. “You’re my children and I’m never going to let anything happen to any of you. She’s gone forever. She’ll never be able to hurt anyone ever again.”

Logan’s eyes traced Lena’s face. “Do you really love us or is this a test?” he asked quietly.

“I really love each one of you,” Lena answered, struggling more and more not to cry. “There are no tests, you’re home.”

Lucius cried and stared at his scarred hands. “I want Astra,” he whispered, sniffling.

Lena was about to open her mouth to say she could go get Astra for him, but Astra must have heard because she walked in. It wouldn’t surprise her at all if Kara and Astra had both listened in. Her assumption was confirmed when she caught a brief glimpse of her best friend crying on Lucy’s shoulder.

Lucius jumped out of Logan’s bed and ran up to Astra, grasping her hands and staring at the scars on them. “Our pain is over,” he whispered, looking up at Astra.

“Sweet child,” Astra whispered, crouching down in front of Lucius.

Lucius freed his hands and flung his arms around Astra’s neck. “Can I stay with you tonight?” he asked, crying softly.

Astra rubbed Lucius’ back and gazed at Lena.

Lena nodded. Of course she wasn’t going to object to Lucius wanting to stay with Astra. She had a feeling it helped her youngest son that Astra had scars of her own.

“Yes, you can,” Astra whispered to Lucius. “There is a place for you between my wife and me,” she said, caressing his cheek.

Lena exhaled quietly as Astra left the room with Lucius. “Do you want to sleep in my room with Kara and me?” she asked Logan, just in case he’d rather not be alone.

Logan’s chest heaved while he shook his head.

“Okay,” Lena whispered, aching to hug her son. “If you change your mind, our door will be open.”

“You went back,” Logan whispered, lifting his head to look at Lena when she stood near the door.

“Pardon?” Lena asked, fingers lingering on the doorknob.

“Where we came from, you went back with Alex,” Logan answered, clasping his arms around his legs. “Did you find the bodies of the first six?”

Lena froze. It didn’t even cross her mind Logan would have known their bodies were kept at the facility. She couldn’t lie to her son and she was painfully aware Kara was outside the door. “Yes,” she answered, licking her dry lips. God, she needed a drink. “I found them.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara ran out onto the beach, barefooted, sobbing as the waves touched her feet and eventually her knees.

Lena shivered at the cold touch of the water, but she didn’t care. She’d bear with it to be here with Kara. “I thought I was doing the right thing by not telling you,” she confessed, looking at her best friend with remorse. “You’ve been through so much pain in your life, I didn’t want you to see the horror I saw.”

“That wasn’t your decision to make, Lee,” Kara replied as her shoulders slumped. “They were my children, too,” she whispered, not angry but upset.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have decided for you,” Lena admitted, realizing that was a mistake.

“I want to be able to say goodbye,” Kara said, despite not having known their first six children. “Are they still at the facility?”

Lena took a deep steadying breath and shook her head. “They’ve been buried in anonymous graves, which was my idea,” she answered, to make it clear Kara shouldn’t blame Alex for any of it. She’d hate to see something come in between the two sisters.

“You put them under the ground,” Kara replied, shivering. “Kryptonians don’t… we don’t,” she tried to say, shaking her head.

Lena wiped her thumbs at Kara’s tears. “How would you do it?” she asked, regretting her decision even more.

“I would send them away in a pod, towards Rao’s light,” Kara answered, biting her lip. “So he would welcome them in his warmth and take away their pain.”

Lena wanted to right her wrong, if she could. “We should do that,” she replied, pulling Kara into a hug. “They deserve a proper burial,” she whispered, given the burial she’d given them apparently lacked respect.

“Yes,” Kara agreed, wrapping her arms around Lena when she felt her shiver. “You’re freezing. You need to get out of this water before you get sick.”

“I wouldn’t mind freezing for you,” Lena replied and she could have sworn she heard a faint gasp. “You’re my best friend and you’re upset because of me.”

Kara sighed and grasped Lena’s hand, guiding her out of the water. “It does upset me that you had kept the truth from me,” she confirmed. “But I also know your intentions were pure because you’re a good person and you were trying to do what was right, what you thought was best. I’ll forgive you, but please never decide in my place again. I deserve to make my own decisions, to decide for myself what I can and cannot handle.”

“I understand,” Lena whispered, nodding. “I’m sorry about everything. What happened to our first six children isn’t right.”

“Hey, no, Lee, look at me,” Kara replied, grasping Lena’s chin. “Don’t apologize for what Lillian did. Her crimes aren’t your fault.”

“I’d like to learn more about your ways,” Lena said, swallowing thickly as the horrifying mental images flashed before her eyes again. “Will you tell me about them?”

A new realization struck Kara. “Are you okay with a Kryptonian funeral? I don’t mean to decide in your place,” she said, aware that humans did usually burry loved ones who passed away.

“I’m okay with it,” Lena answered, nodding. “They deserve to walk in Rao’s light, or did I understand wrong?”

Kara led Lena back inside so she could make her hot chocolate and give her a blanket to warm her up. Meanwhile, she told her best friend everything she knew about Kryptonian funerals, while Lena listened to her with rapt attention.

It didn’t take Lena long to warm up, but it had little to do with the blanket and the hot chocolate. She hung onto Kara’s lips as she spoke with passion about Kryptonian customs.

 


	14. Chapter 14

_When marimba rhythms start to play_

_Dance with me, make me sway_

_Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore_

_Hold me close, sway me more_

_Like a flower bending in the breeze_

_Bend with me, sway with ease_

_When we dance you have a way with me_

_Stay with me, sway with me_

 

Alex held Maggie from behind, swaying slowly through the kitchen together as she smiled, listening to the music that was playing. It didn’t matter if they would be in Spain in their house or here in this beach house that Lena bought because to her home was wherever her wife was with her.

 

_Other dancers may be on the floor_

_Dear, but my eyes will see only you_

_Only you have the magic technique_

_When we sway I go weak_

 

Maggie had her eyes closed for a moment, sighing as her wife kissed her cheek. When she opened her eyes, she saw everyone else had woken up and the children were watching them.

“Feliz día de San Valentín,” _(Happy valentines day)_ Jamie said with a wide smile.

“Happy valentines day,” Alex and Maggie said in sync.

“Awe, this is your wedding song,” Kara said, melting as she listened to the cd play, recognizing it instantly.

“Mhmm,” Alex hummed, holding her wife tighter. “Can you believe it’s been ten years?” she asked Maggie, brushing her fingers through her hair.

“Ten years and I still love you as much as when I said I do,” Maggie answered, giving her wife one of her dimpled smiles. “I’d marry you again in a heartbeat, Danvers,” she whispered, eyes dipping towards Alex’s lips.

Alex blushed a deep shade of red. “Maggie and I are going to be out of the house today, if that’s alright,” she said, glancing at the other adults.

“Of course,” Kara replied immediately. “Go celebrate your ten year wedding anniversary.”

“Yes,” Lena agreed, nodding. “You two should celebrate. Take all the time you need,” she said, already having decided a few days ago that she wouldn’t go to work today, although that was because Kara and she had a tradition to celebrate valentines together.

“Would you mind watching Jamie for us today?” Maggie asked, grasping her coat.

“Not at all,” Lucy answered, shaking her head. “Go have fun,” she said, winking as she smirked.

Kara felt happy when her sister left with Maggie, all giddy. “What about you two though?” she asked her aunt and Lucy. “Don’t you want to go celebrate valentines?”

“And leave you and Lena to babysit seven children by yourself?” Lucy replied, raising an eyebrow. “Nah, Star and I are good with staying here.”

“We shall celebrate valentines here,” Astra said decisively.

Lucy nodded. “We’re going to make a lot of tiny cupcakes and decorate them,” she said, grinning as she yanked the cupboard open to reveal the ingredients she collected the other day. “The kids can help us, it’ll be fun.”

“There is going to be flour all over the floor,” Lena said, envisioning the mess.

“Oh Rao, yes!” Kara shouted excitedly, wincing when her children flinched at her loud volume. “It’s going to be so much fun.”

Lena observed Kara, who was smiling in a way that reached her eyes, making those blues sparkle with a special light. Her best friend’s hair was a bit ruffled from just having gotten up and her pajamas with rainbows on them were absolutely ridiculous, but she couldn’t have looked more beautiful if she tried. Out of all the sides she’d seen of Kara, the _I just woke up but I’m in a chipper mood already_ was one of her favorites, the way energy radiated off of her naturally.

Lena cleared her throat, attempting to focus. “When can we get started?” she asked, aiming to sound casual.

“Someone’s eager all of the sudden,” Lucy teased. “I’m going to eat breakfast first though.”

“Me too,” Kara agreed, licking her lips. “I’m starving,” she said, dramatically dragging the word out as if she hadn’t eaten in forever.

“You’re always starving, you bottomless pit,” Lena commented, chuckling. “Come, sweethearts, let’s eat,” she said to her children, gesturing for them to take a seat at the table.

Kara huffed out a laugh and gazed at Lena, who as per usual and much unlike her, didn’t have that _I just got out of bed_ look. She’d think her best friend secretly snuck into the bathroom to make her hair look decent if she didn’t know already how that wasn’t the case. There had been many times where she’d woken up first and observed Lena, whose hair would be spread onto the pillow like an angelic halo.

“Ah, that will be a delivery for you,” Lena said to Kara when she saw her head turn towards the door, before a knock sounded.

Kara frowned, but rather than questioning Lena, she sped up to the door and opened it. Her lips split into a smile when a bouquet of roses was handed to her. “Thank you,” she mumbled to the delivery boy, who promptly left again, probably to go deliver more flowers to others.

“Happy valentines, El,” Lena said, eying Kara for her reaction. A bouquet was nothing compared to all the times she’d made her best friend’s office overflow with flowers. Once she’d gotten a phone call from Miss Grant, telling her to woman up and ask Kara out already and she had explained they were just friends.

“I love these,” Kara replied, smiling impossibly brighter. “Happy valentines, Lee,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to Lena’s cheek.

Lena’s skin tingled at the contact and she had to refrain from bringing her hand up to her cheek.

“I have a surprise for you, too,” Kara said, running off while Lucy and Astra were setting the table. She was hungry, sure, but this couldn’t wait any longer or she’d combust.

Lena shook her head when Kara returned. “You shouldn’t have,” she said, watching the wrapped gift her best friend was holding. It was wrapped in newspaper and had far too much tape on it, but the puppy look Kara gave her made her smile.

Kara placed the gift down and nodded at Lena, jumping slightly while her best friend began to open it. “I made it myself,” she said with a sense of pride, lifting her chin up.

Lena saw that the children hadn’t touched their breakfast yet. Instead, they were glancing at her, at the gift she received from Kara. She huffed as she finally managed to get all of the tape and the newspaper loose. “Oh, Kara…,” she whispered, fingers shaking slightly as she took the gift in her hands.

It was a scrapbook filled with pictures of Kara and Lena together from throughout the years they’d been friends. Underneath each picture were the words _this is why I love you_ , written below a reason why.

“This is…,” Lena paused to take a shallow breath. “It’s…” It felt as if there was a frog in her throat, preventing her from speaking properly. Her eyes grew watery as she smiled. “It’s perfect,” she whispered, looking forward to look through it sometime, when there were no distractions.

Kara bit her bottom lip, but it did nothing to stop a wide goofy smile from gracing her lips. She knew her budget was always limited, but that was not why she chose to make a gift rather than buy one. Beforehand she knew she wanted it to be personal, to mean more than a store-bought gift. Anyone could walk into a store to buy scented candles, perfume or chocolates.

“Aww, that’s such a romantic gift,” Lucy said, sharing a knowing look with Astra. “You two are both saps.”

Krypto chose that exact moment to bark and waggled his tail.

“Ah, see, it’s confirmed,” Lucy said, pointing at Krypto. “He gets it.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara’s cheeks were dusted with bits of flour when she opened the door after a series of knocks sounded on it. Surely her sister would have thought to take her key with her, but it would be strange if Alex was coming back already so soon, when hardly three hours had passed.

It most definitely wasn’t Alex and Maggie.

Vladimir was wearing a suit and tie, his hair smoothed back with gel again. He nodded once at Kara and let himself in.

Kara sighed, seeing how Leslie, Ivy, Harley and Lilith were a bit further behind, making their way to the beach house.

Vladimir walked up to Larissa and revealed a single red rose from behind his back, holding it out to her with a smile. “I can show you the world,” he sang, grasping Larissa’s hand and kissing her knuckles.

Larissa’s eyes widened and her eyes flit between Vladimir and the rose.

Logan grabbed a hold of Vladimir by his collar. “I can show you the door,” he said, dragging the boy away from his sister.

Leslie who had just walked in laughed. “I told you it wasn’t a good idea, Vlad,” she sing-songed. “You sure look after your sister, kid,” she said to Logan.

“One of us has to, Livewire,” Logan replied, shoving Vladimir outside.

“Yeah, course,” Leslie said, leaning against the table. “Kinda helps that you’re strong,” she said, shrugging. “Ah you’ve been making cupcakes, how cheesy.”

“You can’t go wrong with sugar,” Logan said, climbing on top of a chair to continue decorating his share of the cupcakes.

“Sounds like you got a sweet tooth,” Leslie commented. “Doesn’t surprise me, Kara is practically a walking cube of sugar.”

Logan grinned. “I do like sugar, but don’t mistake that for me being soft,” he said to Leslie.

Lena frowned and looked at Kara, who was frowning as well. It was new and refreshing to hear Logan having an actual conversation with someone.

Meanwhile Harley and Ivy let themselves in with Lilith and a disgruntled Vladimir.

“You, soft? Nah, not a chance, kid,” Leslie said, nudging Logan’s side. “What’s that supposed to look like?” she asked, pointing at one of his cupcakes.

Logan didn’t flinch. Instead he faced Leslie. “A cupcake, obviously,” he answered, returning to decorating it.

Leslie grinned and patted Logan’s back, frowning when Kara, Lena and Lucy gasped while Astra simply stared. “You got some spice,” she said to Logan. “Hand me that stuff,” she said, trying to take it out of Logan’s hands to decorate a cupcake.

Logan swatted Leslie’s hand away. “Maybe I would if you’d ask nicely,” he replied, keeping it out of Leslie’s reach.

“Give me that or I’ll hold you upside down, how about that?”

Logan laughed. “I’d like to see you try, Livewire,” he answered, continuing undisturbed.

Leslie glanced at Lena. “This kid’s definitely one of yours alright,” she said, smirking.

Kara wondered if Logan was warming up to them, but when she got too close, her son flinched away, which had her sighing and made her feel confused. It made no sense to her why he’d warm up to Leslie out of all people when she had such a sarcastic attitude.

“I love,” Lizzie said, running up to their guests.

Ivy made a flower grow in the palm of her hand and held it out to Lizzie, who squealed. “You can have this instead of a hug,” she said, letting Lizzie take it. “I prefer to keep my bones unbroken.”

“Loot atcha,” Harley said, scooping Lizzie up. “Aren’t ya the cutest?” she commented, laughing when Lizzie hugged her. “Ya got nothing to be scared of, Red.”

“Be careful, babe,” Leslie warned Harley. “Lizzie’s hugs are crushing and I’m so not taking you to the damn hospital for another cast.”

“Lily,” Lyra said with a smile, hugging Lilith. “Are you here to play? You can have some of my cupcakes.”

“I made something for you,” Lilith said to Lyra, revealing a flower crown. “You’re a princess now,” she said, smiling as she placed the flower crown on top of Lyra’s head.

“Awe, look, Lee,” Kara cooed, feeling her heart melt. “That’s so adorable.”

Lena smiled briefly, but she kept getting distracted by Logan, who was tied in a conversation with Leslie. She couldn’t fathom how anything about Leslie’s attitude managed to make her oldest son smile.

“My sweets,” Vladimir said to Larissa, faltering when Logan cut him a glare. “I’ll see myself out,” he said, holding his hands up.

 


	15. Chapter 15

_You look so angelic when you’re sleeping, with your hair draped around your face like a halo. I believe you may be an actual angel. This is why I love you._

Lena smiled as her fingers lingered at the photograph of her in Kara’s bed in her friend’s apartment. She was sleeping and Kara was awake, smiling at the camera. She didn’t even know of the existence of this picture until her best friend gave her this scrapbook.

Seeing Kara smile in that picture made her feel warm inside. Her friend’s smile was kind and sincere, the kind of smile that seemed to say _I’m happy I woke up next to you_. Of course it was all platonic, she knew that, but it made her feel good nonetheless. Kara had told her before how her mornings were so much better when she got to wake up next to her, which had been a friendly comment.

She knew her best friend was such a teddy bear in bed, always wanting to cuddle. It was so endearing she didn’t even mind when Kara ended up taking most of the blankets or how she would roll around in her sleep from time to time. The latter came with a nice bonus whenever her best friend rolled around so much she ended up nuzzling closer against her.

There were also moments where Kara would swing an arm around her in her sleep, holding her in a way that bordered on crushing and seemed to say _I’m not going to let you go_. She shouldn’t read too much into any of the moments they shared, but each one was a good memory and their friendship was tight knotted.

“Good morning, Lena,” Alex whispered, stretching her arms. She frowned when Lena jumped up from her chair. “You’re up early, everything okay?”

Lena cleared her throat and shut the scrapbook. “Good morning, Alex,” she replied, minding her manners. “I’m fine, yes, thank you for asking,” she said, hoping that sounded more convincing than it did in her head. “You’re up early as well,” she noted.

“Oh yeah, that’s because I’m going for a jog before breakfast,” Alex explained, gesturing at her loose black shirt and sweatpants. “I like to stay in shape.”

“I can tell,” Lena replied, a little too fast. “I mean… you are always in a good shape.”

Alex chuckled and reached past Lena to make a cup of coffee. She wouldn’t eat breakfast yet, but a cup of coffee was more than welcome. “You mean you’re a woman who appreciates the athletic build of another woman,” she said, grasping a cup.

“Yes,” Lena confirmed, cheeks a little warm. “I should have thought before speaking, but I think my mind and my tongue don’t always get along.”

“It is fine, no worries,” Alex replied, shrugging. “I know the only woman you’re into is my sister,” she stated dryly.

Lena choked on air. “Surely you are mistaken,” she said, chuckling. “Kara is my best friend,” she whispered, praying to even Rao Kara was still soundly asleep and wasn’t hearing any of this.

Alex placed her hand on the scrapbook and looked into Lena’s eyes. She didn’t need her sister’s super hearing to know Lena’s heart was beating faster. The rapid rise and fall of Lena’s chest said more than enough. “Maggie was once my friend and yesterday we celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary,” she whispered, smiling.

Lena’s eyes flickered towards her bedroom door. So far there was no movement, but she couldn’t be certain Kara was still sleeping. “Please have lunch with me today when you stop by at L-Corp,” she said, placing her hand on top of Alex’s. She flicked her eyes from her bedroom to Alex, squeezing her hand.

Alex sighed. “Yes, I’d love to,” she replied, nodding as Lena freed her hand. “It will be a good moment for us to talk about _work_.”

Lena nodded and straightened her posture when she saw Maggie and Lucy descending the stairs.

“Hey, I’m going for a jog, too,” Maggie said to her wife.

“Same,” Lucy said, stretching her legs. “Sprint at the end?”

“Jogging is not a competition, Luce,” Alex replied, shaking her head.

“I bet twenty dollars I can outrun you,” Lucy said, holding her hand out.

“How about we make it a little bit more interesting?” Maggie suggested. “The winner gets to spend the upcoming weekend with their wife while the loser stays here to watch the children.”

“Two against one?” Lucy asked, smirking, although she knew her wife would outrun them all if she’d join.

“You against me,” Alex suggested to Lucy. “Do we have a deal?”

“You’re on,” Lucy answered, shaking Alex’s hand.

Lena raised an eyebrow at the three of them. “Does everything need to be a competition between you three?” she asked, sighing whilst smiling.

Alex, Maggie and Lucy looked at each other.

“Pretty much, yes,” Lucy answered, nodding along with Alex and Maggie.

Lena smiled when she heard the familiar sound of Kara’s baby dinosaur yawns as her best friend slumped out of their bedroom.

“Good morning, Lee,” Kara said, smiling as she rubbed her eyes and walked up to the table. She kissed the top of Lena’s head. “Did you sleep well?”

“Good morning to you, too,” Alex grumbled to her sister, though she was smiling. “By all means, don’t mind us.”

“I’m so going to lose that bet,” Maggie mumbled, sighing.

“What bet?” Kara asked Maggie, frowning.

“They’re betting on who can run the fastest,” Lena explained to Kara, although she frowned a second later when she realized it was Alex who was going to race against Lucy, not Maggie. Strange.

Kara shook her head. “Good morning, everyone,” she said quickly. There, that should cover it. “I’ll make breakfast.”

Lena quickly got up. “I’ll help,” she offered, smiling at Kara.

“It’s a beautiful day to be gay,” Lucy said, winking before opening the door to go outside.

“And a beautiful day for you to get your ass handed to you,” Alex said to Lucy, smiling when Lucy gasped.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara chewed her bottom lip. This was not good, definitely not good. So much for planning and communicating, she thought. There were always supposed to stay at least three adults at home. Lena had left early in the morning, during breakfast to go to L-Corp. Maggie had left briefly after to go to work.

That was all okay and the normal course of things during the week. However, Alex had left as well, saying she needed to go take care of some things and Lucy had left when the DEO called her in. Babysitting seven children with her aunt wasn’t bad and wasn’t a problem. No, the problem was that she heard trouble in the city that needed her attention as Supergirl.

“You need not worry, little one,” Astra said to Kara. “As a General, I have lead armies of far larger proportions. Looking after seven children is but a small task.”

“Children aren’t the same as soldiers,” Kara replied, sighing. “It’s too much to ask you to look after all seven of them.”

“The city needs you,” Astra insisted.

Kara sighed again, knowing her aunt was right. “I’ll hurry,” she promised, hoping her sister would come back soon. “Mommy will be right back, sweethearts,” she said to her children, who were keeping themselves occupied with books and toys.

Sparing one last glance, Kara changed into her suit and hurried into the city. After all these years, there were still people trying to rob the bank, as if they’d ever actually succeed. Her time was limited, given somewhere else in the city a school bus was dangling on the edge of a bridge and a few blocks further a building was on fire.

After she stopped the bank robbers and let the police take over, she flew over to the bridge, just in time to catch it. People clapped as she put the bus down and as much as she wanted to give in to their requests of giving them her autograph, she had a fire to go put out. If her aunt hadn’t been alone with the children, she’d have considered surprising Lena with lunch.

She flew past L-Corp and smiled when she saw her sister in Lena’s office. They were talking and being so close and focused on the sounds of the city, she couldn’t help but overhear. What she heard made her lose some of her altitude and nearly had her crashing into a building.

_“Admitting you have feelings for someone isn’t easy,” Alex said. “But sometimes you have to put yourself out there you know? Letting Maggie know how I felt was difficult, but in the end it was rewarding.”_

_“What if it won’t be rewarding in my case?” Lena asked, voice fragile. “What if she doesn’t love me? I’m not sure what to say to Kara. Her valentines gift for me was so sweet and thoughtful. I don’t want to lose her as a friend. She was the first friend I made, my best friend even.”_

Kara shook her head, ignoring the tears that escaped her. Lena was in love with someone and was too scared to tell her. Did that mean her best friend thought the scrapbook was her way of saying she was in love with her? Because it wasn’t, hah, no. She’d given the scrapbook to Lena as a gift because they were close. If her best friend loved someone, she’d fully support her.

She wanted Lena to be happy, regardless of whom it would be with. It would be ridiculous for her to toss their friendship away over something like that. She wanted to let her best friend know she’d always be her friend, but she would have to pretend she didn’t know Lena loved someone. It sounded like her best friend jumped to conclusions and was afraid to reject her. Maybe she went too far when she gave Lena that scrapbook filled with reasons why she loved her.

Something about hearing her best friend was in love with someone hurt in a way that confused her. Lena’s happiness was important, but the fact that she loved someone while she had six children with her didn’t sit that well. Of course she was aware neither of them ever planned they’d be raising children together, though that didn’t make it easier.

Her heart ached at the thought of another woman being called mommy by their children, although she shouldn’t think that far ahead. She wondered who it could be, who Lena had fallen for and she also wondered why she hadn’t told her. They were best friends. They shared everything with each other. Above anything else, it hurt Lena wasn’t talking with her about it. Then again, if her friend thought she was in love with her or something, it made sense why Lena wouldn’t have come to her.

With a heavy heart she continued to fulfill her duties as Supergirl. Lena loved someone and that someone wasn’t her. They’d been best friends for years, how did she not notice Lena had feelings for Rao knows who?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obliviousness at its best. :)
> 
> Anyone ripping their hair out yet?


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mentions of child abuse.   
> \------------------------------------

“Kara and I have been friends for many years,” Lena said, sighing as she looked at Alex, who was sitting in front of her. “I think I got myself stuck quite deep into the friend zone.”

“Lena, you two share a bed,” Alex pointed out. “You cuddle and kiss each other goodnight.”

“As true as that may be, the former is purely because Astra accidently placed one bed in our bedroom rather than two,” Lena reminded Alex. “And the latter is merely because we are best friends.”

Alex cocked an eyebrow. “I haven’t seen my sister bother with fixing Astra’s mistake and there are no excuses for that. You two like sharing a bed with each other,” she said knowingly. “As for the cuddling, I mean come on friends don’t sleep in each other’s arms with their legs tangled together. If you had both been younger that would make more sense, but still. As for the kiss goodnight, Kara only does that with you.”

“Okay, yes,” Lena admitted, straightening her back. “But-”

Alex sighed audibly. “Lena, you’re a smart woman,” she said, interrupting Lena. “Excuses won’t change facts,” she said, inclining her eyes towards the scrapbook.

Lena glanced at the scrapbook Kara gave her for valentines, which she’d brought to work. Paging through it helped to make her day brighter. “What if she rejects me?” she asked, a light lilt in her voice as she spoke.

“What if she doesn’t?” Alex urged. “I bet one of the reasons why she loves you is because she thinks you’re brave.”

Lena was a bit surprised, considering something like that was written in the scrapbook. “I’m afraid,” she confessed in a whisper. “If Kara doesn’t feel the same way I feel about her, it’ll be a fall she can’t catch me from.”

“You won’t know if she’ll catch you or not unless you take the leap.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara had been worried for naught. When she arrived back at the beach house, the children were sitting on the floor in half a circle around her aunt, listening while she was reading to them from a book. Astra had been right. She truly could handle babysitting seven children. Much to her surprise, Lucius was sitting in her aunt’s lap.

Astra held Lucius’ finger and moved it over the words, smiling briefly at Lizzie who sat next to her, nuzzled against her side.

Lyra turned her head towards Kara and smiled. “Mommy,” she said, getting up to run over to her.

“Hey, baby,” Kara replied, running a hand through Lyra’s hair as her daughter wrapped her arms around her legs. “I see Astra is telling you all a story.”

Lyra nodded. “Harry Potter,” she said, grasping Kara’s hand. “Come sit with us, mommy.”

“I wouldn’t want to miss story time,” Kara said, sitting down in the circle between Lorraine and Larissa, who scooted a bit to the side to leave a gap in between them. It hurt her feelings when they did that, but it was a lot of process already when they didn’t flinch or ran to hide.

Lyra nestled herself into Kara’s lap.

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us,” Astra read. “What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”

“I choose light,” Lucius whispered, smiling faintly when Astra caressed his cheek while she kept reading.

Kara absentmindedly combed her fingers through Lyra’s hair. She tried to listen to her aunt’s readings, but her thoughts kept drifting. Lena loved someone and she wondered what that meant for their friendship, for the arrangement they had in place. Of course it had to be mutual, who wouldn’t fall for Lena? Once her best friend would begin to date, it would be really awkward how they shared a bed, even though they weren’t doing anything that wasn’t considered friendly.

Again, she was thinking too far ahead. Lena hadn’t even gone on a date yet with whomever it was she had feelings for. Maybe it wouldn’t even be something serious, although for the sake of Lena’s happiness it better be. She startled somewhat when her aunt cleared her throat and when she caught Astra’s gaze, she was nodding towards the children.

“Kara?” Lorraine asked, frowning. “I’m hungry. Can I please have some food?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Kara answered, pushing her feelings aside as she smiled.

Astra closed the book and whispered to the children to go play. “I shall lend you a hand in the kitchen,” she said to Kara, standing up.

Kara nodded and opened the refrigerator. She sighed when she felt her aunt’s hand on her shoulder. “What if you realize you actually love someone, only a moment too late because meanwhile they love someone else?” she asked in a whisper, swallowing hard.

It was never a secret that she loved Lena as a friend, but there had been times where it crossed her mind that maybe she felt more than friendship. Though maybe wasn’t enough and Lena deserved better than someone with doubts. It wasn’t like she could tell her best friend _hey, maybe I’m in love with you, but I don’t know so yeah, maybe._ No, she couldn’t do that. Not that any of it mattered now.

“Maybe I’m just worried our friendship will wither,” Kara reasoned silently, before her aunt could respond. “It would change things if she’d date someone, but I don’t think it’ll change how I feel about her. Oh Rao, what would I tell our children? Because you know… they think…,” she whispered, sighing, remembering how her children assumed Lena and she were married.

“What makes you certain it is too late?” Astra asked, closing the refrigerator. “Feelings cannot be measured by time, they simply are and at any moment, you can express them. It is only too late when you decide to hold your tongue and never speak your heart.”

“I thought we were best friends, but I feel like… I don’t know,” Kara whispered, sighing. “Like the lines are blurring, I guess.”

“Lena feels for you, my dear niece,” Astra replied, caressing Kara’s cheek.

“Friendship, that’s what she feels,” Kara sighed, letting her shoulders sag.

“Oh?” Astra asked, raising an eyebrow. “I had no idea you were capable of reading minds.”

“I don’t need to ask her, aunt Astra,” Kara muttered, sighing again. “It’s obvious.”

Astra took Kara’s glasses off of her nose and polished them. “Sometimes we need to look again to see things clearly,” she whispered, smiling as she put Kara’s glasses back onto her nose. “Your vision may be blurry.”

Kara nodded weakly and tried to focus on making food. “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell anyone,” she whispered, biting her lip. “Especially not Luce, she’s a tease and I’d never live it down.”

“Auntie Kara, that lamp is flickering,” Jamie said to Kara, pointing at a lamp near the couch.

Kara spun around. “Not this,” she groaned, just as Livewire appeared.

“Gobble gobble,” Leslie said, grinning when the children hid, save from Jamie and Logan.

“Why are you here?” Kara asked sternly, hands on her hips.

“Vlad and Lily wanted to visit, so here we are,” Leslie answered, opening the door to let the children in. “Harley and Ivy are in Gotham at the moment, so it’s just me.”

“Peachy,” Kara muttered under her breath. Two more children running around the beach house was really what she needed right now.

“Lily,” Lyra said, smiling as she ran up to Lilith to hug her. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Lyra,” Lilith replied, wincing slightly.

“I’m sorry,” Lyra whispered, casting her eyes down while she dropped her arms. “Mommy and Astra have been trying to teach me to be gentle.”

“It’s okay, it hurt less than last time,” Lilith said, smiling.

“You sure made an entrance,” Logan said to Leslie, eying her.

“I have my moments,” Leslie replied, shrugging. She curled her fist and brought it close to Logan, grinning when he gave her a fist bump. “You didn’t even try, I hardly felt that one.”

Logan crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. “You would regret it if I had,” he replied with an air of confidence.

Kara had yet to wrap her mind around the friendship or whatever it was her oldest son had built with Livewire out of all people. “I guess the three of you are staying for lunch,” she said to Leslie. “Okay, who wants to help out in the kitchen?” she asked, glancing around with a hopeful smile.

“I’ll help, Kara,” Logan offered, rolling up his sleeves.

“More hands make the work lighter,” Vladimir said, rolling up his sleeves as well.

Kara gave the boys some vegetables to cut, keeping a close eye on them. She tried not to stare when she saw Vladimir’s arms were littered with scars and burn marks.

“What happened to you?” Logan asked Vladimir, nodding at his arms.

“My father did this to me,” Vladimir answered indifferently.

“Parents don’t hurt their children,” Lyra said, frowning. “Right, mommy?” she asked, glancing at Kara.

“Right, sweetie,” Kara confirmed, feeling a bit concerned and unsure how to explain some parents did hurt their children.

“Say that to my dad,” Vladimir said.

Lyra’s frown deepened. “Did he ever hurt you, Lily?” she asked, turning to her friend.

Lilith shook her head. “Vladimir always got hurt so I wouldn’t have to,” she answered, biting her lip as she looked at her brother.

“Rather me than my little sister,” Vladimir mumbled.

“I’m glad that jerk’s locked up in Arkham,” Leslie muttered. “That asshole, I’m going to break his face if I ever see him getting out.”

“Oh Rao, language, please,” Kara said to Leslie, finding she wanted to cover all of the children’s ears. She sighed because even though Leslie had a point, the joker was still Lilith and Vladimir’s father and she’d caught the twitch of their eyes when Leslie spoke ill of him.

“Nobody should ever hurt a child,” Astra said, eyes hardened.

“You know my story now,” Vladimir said to Logan. “What’s yours?” he asked, gesturing at the scar on Logan’s face.

“The woman who created me in a facility did this to me when I tried to attack her,” Logan answered, tracing his fingertips over his scar. “I thought I could overpower her because I was no longer a little boy, but I was too weak and she was not alone. They held me down while she gave me this scar.”

“Sounds like I got two faces to break,” Leslie muttered under her breath.

Kara shivered, feeling sick about all the things her children had gone through. She always brought enemies to prison to follow the system, to stick with the rules, similarly to how she’d brought Lillian to prison. The more truths she found out about Lillian and what Cadmus truly had been up to, the more she felt she wanted to strangle her.

“I have known war and bloodshed,” Astra whispered extra quietly to Kara. “It would not haunt me in my sleep as it would haunt you.”

Kara knew that wasn’t entirely true since her aunt had more demons of the past haunting her than she was willing to admit. She knew what Astra was offering, how she wanted to kill Lillian so she didn’t have to ponder if she wanted to, if she’d be able to. “Don’t, it’s not worth it,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Astra, no, tell me you won’t do anything reckless.”

 


	17. Chapter 17

“Okay…,” Kara whispered, taking a deep breath while she paced around in front of the ocean in the middle of the night. “I can’t believe you…,” she said, shaking her head before looking at her aunt. “After I specifically said…”

Astra clasped her hands behind her back. “It was necessary,” she whispered, clenching her jaw.

“Necce – hah, Rao, this is unbelievable,” Kara scoffed, unsure why she even tried to convince her aunt otherwise. “You broke into prison,” she whispered, sighing when Astra merely nodded once. “Then you basically abducted Lillian.”

“I do not see how that is a problem,” Astra replied dryly. “She needed to be taken care of.”

“How it’s a… oh Rao,” Kara sighed, putting her hands in her hair. If it wasn’t for her children sleeping, she’d be shouting. “You injected Lillian with a virus that will bring her to the brink of death without actually killing her and then you placed her in a pod and sent her off to the Phantom Zone.”

“Yes, I did,” Astra confirmed with a calm tone. “Now she can suffer forever, as will the children who will never forget the horror she put them through.”

“Alex is not happy about the paperwork you’re putting the DEO through to cover for you,” Kara said, understanding why her aunt did it, but at the same time wishing she hadn’t. “What are you smiling about?”

“I added a souvenir in her pod,” Astra answered, continuing to smile as she gazed out over the water.

Kara pinched the bridge of her nose. “What did you do now?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. Lillian deserved to suffer, of course, but it wasn’t up to any of them to make such decisions. The eldest Luthor should have been left in prison to rot.

“I may have taken a photograph of Lena sleeping in your arms and may have taped it onto the window of her pod.”

“Aunt Astra!” Kara gasped, jaw dropping. “Lucy totally helped you with all of that didn’t she?”

Astra averted her eyes and kept her lips sealed, suddenly finding a lot of interest in the moon.

“If J’onn would find out she was involved he’d fire her,” Kara whispered, pacing around again. “Luce is family so I’m obviously not going to tell and yes, Lillian deserves all of that and worse for what she did, but it’s still wrong. We’re supposed to be the good guys.”

“Are you done so I may return to my wife?” Astra asked while her eyes flitted towards the beach house. “It is late and a lady mustn’t be kept waiting.”

Kara had a feeling her aunt wasn’t only speaking about how she kept Lucy waiting. “Yes, I’m done,” she answered, exhaling loudly. “I should get back to bed,” she whispered, hoping she wouldn’t wake Lena in the process, considering she would leave early in the morning to go to work. “I take it Lillian didn’t approve seeing her daughter in the arms of an alien.”

“She most certainly did not appreciate it,” Astra replied, a smile tugging at her lips again. “Lena was never meant to be hers. She is a part of our family.”

“Mhmm,” Kara hummed low in her throat, definitely agreeing with that statement.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena yawned and smiled when Kara entered their bedroom, she’d noticed she had left, probably to get some fresh air, and she’d waited for her to come back.

Kara smiled at the series of yawns. “And you dare call me a baby dinosaur,” she whispered, lifting the sheets to get under them.

“You are a baby dinosaur,” Lena replied, her smile not wavering for even a second as she scooted to be closer to Kara. “Are you tired?”

Kara’s concentration was lost when Lena gazed into her eyes and when a hand came up to brush her hair behind her ears, she wanted to lean down and kiss her goodnight. The thought startled her. She’d kissed her best friend goodnight plenty of times, but thinking about kissing her on the lips was different.

Lena slowly brought her hand down, caressing down Kara’s cheek in the process. She wanted to let her friend know how she felt, but she was scared it wouldn’t be requited. If Kara didn’t like her like that it could drive a wedge between them.

Kara propped herself up on her elbow, smiling as she trailed her fingertips up and down Lena’s exposed arm. Oh Rao, it was unfair how gorgeous her best friend looked in that oversized shirt and wait a minute. “You’re wearing my shirt?” she asked, blurting the question out before thinking.

Lena glanced down at the shirt she was wearing. It was definitely one of Kara’s, she’d already known that when she put it on. And if that hadn’t been a giveaway for her, the cartoons on the shirt sure were. “Yes,” she confirmed, eyes tracing Kara’s face. “I can take it off if that’s a problem,” she offered, grasping the hem of the shirt.

Kara’s eyes went round at the thought of Lena going topless. “No, no,” she replied abruptly, spluttering. “Keep it on, please,” she said, cheeks heating up in a way that she could feel it spreading down to her neck. “I was just surprised.”

“Okay,” Lena whispered, releasing her grip on the shirt. “Is everything alright, El?”

“Uhuh, yup,” Kara answered, nodding. “It should be illegal how good you look in my shirt,” she whispered what was meant to be a thought she needed to keep to herself. Not like she hadn’t complimented Lena before, but oh Rao, she didn’t want to give her friend to wrong idea. Well, technically the right idea, but that was not the point.

Lena blushed and bit her lip. Kara had always been a bit of a charmer, mostly when she didn’t try and usually in a dorky clumsy kind of way, but this time she’d sounded smooth. “I’ll make sure to steal clothes from you more often then,” she teased.

“If you want me to end up naked, sure,” Kara replied, hoping it came across as teasing as she had meant it. Rao, why did she have to overthink everything now that she knew Lena was in love with someone?

“I suppose you being naked would have some perks,” Lena whispered, feeling like she was really walking near the edge of her words not being so friendly anymore. “For instance, I’d be able to steal more body heat from you.”

Kara feigned a gasp and held her hand against her chest. “First my clothes and now my body warmth?” she asked, smiling when Lena chuckled. “Who are you, Robin Hood?”

The only thing Lena was interested in stealing was Kara’s heart, but if she’d voice that thought she’d give herself away. There was no way she would be able to play that off as a friendly comment. “It’s late, dork,” she whispered, chuckling again when her friend swatted her arm. “Some of us have to work in the morning while others of us have a city to save.”

“Maybe there will be a damsel in distress in need of being rescued tomorrow,” Kara replied, reaching out to play with a lock of Lena’s hair. She knew her friend usually hated it when people played with her hair, but Lena once told her she didn’t mind it when she played with her hair.

“I doubt you’d need to rescue a woman to get one in your arms.”

“Mhmm, true,” Kara hummed, shifting closer towards Lena. “I have a fine woman right here,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around her friend.

“Goodnight, El,” Lena whispered. She placed a kiss on Kara’s cheek, although this time closer to her mouth than usual, nearly catching the corner of her lips.

Kara was so perplexed by Lena’s velvet lips so close to her mouth that she didn’t realize she hadn’t said anything yet until her friend frowned. “Err, goodnight, Lee,” she stammered, pressing a kiss to Lena’s forehead. “I should take a picture of you and add it in the scrapbook with the words; you steal my clothes, but you look flawless in them, this is why I love you.”

Lena wondered if Kara had even the slightest idea how lightheaded she made her, how her words made her heart flutter. There were many reasons in that scrapbook as to why her best friend loved her, but it wasn’t the romantic type of love. “If I were to write down all the reasons why I love you, my pen would run out of ink,” she whispered, struggling to silence her thundering heart.

Kara smiled faintly. “I’m happy we’re friends, Lee,” she whispered, giving Lena’s arm a light squeeze. “I assure you we’re always going to be best friends.”

“Yes, friends,” Lena confirmed, closing her eyes as she hoped her disappointment didn’t sound through in her voice. “Our children think we’re married though,” she whispered, awaiting Kara’s reaction to that. “Could you imagine us being married?”

“No, silly,” Kara answered, chuckling, although her heart strongly disagreed with her mouth. “You’re my best friend, it would be like… I don’t know, marrying my sister,” she whispered, trying to play it off cool, but the truth was that her heart sped up at the mere thought of them being married.

“Right,” Lena whispered, turning to lie on her side, not facing Kara. “Sweet dreams, El.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

When April Fools rolled around the corner, they had all agreed they weren’t going to pull any pranks whatsoever. In hindsight, Kara should have made them all promise.

Lena tiptoed out of the bedroom and just about jumped half a foot when Lucius jumped out in front of her.

“Boo!” Lucius shouted, laughing as Lena muttered. “I did it, Auntie Luce,” he said, smiling while he high fived Lucy.

“You sneaky little boy,” Lena said, launching a tickle attack on Lucius, who since recently allowed her closer because they played piano together almost every day. She was careful with her words, making sure to never refer to any of her children as monsters, not even playfully. It was a triggering word for her children.

“No, mama,” Lucius giggled. He gently pushed Lena’s hands away with his newly practiced strength. “I surrender.”

“A good soldier does not surrender,” Astra said to Lucius.

“But I want to wave a white flag for peace,” Lucius objected. “A good soldier knows when he lost.”

Kara cooed when she saw a tiny figure entering the bedroom, hidden underneath pink sheets. “Oh no, a ghost,” she whispered, scrambling out of bed. “Lena, help,” she said with a dramatic air.

“Boo!” Lizzie shouted, raising her arms under the pink sheets.

“Oh no,” Lena whispered, gasping. “It’s… a pink ghost. Cotton candy is so scary.”

Kara chuckled and smiled. Maybe April Fools wasn’t so bad after all.

“Mommy, I made you a sandwich,” Lyra said with a sweet smile as she walked in and held out a sandwich to Kara.

“Aww, thank you, sweetie,” Kara replied, smiling while she accepted the sandwich. Her eyes widened when she took a generous bite. “Hot, hot, hot,” she squealed as she dashed towards the kitchen to attach her mouth to the tap. Lyra apparently thought it was funny to prank her by giving her a sandwich with some of Maggie’s jalapeno peppers.

Lena sighed and shook her head. “Who said it was a good idea to teach the children about April Fools?” she asked, glancing particularly at Lucy.

“Whoa back up,” Lucy said, holding her hands up. “As a matter of fact, Leslie, Harley and Ivy are the culprits. They taught them all about April Fools the last time they were here, a couple of days ago, while you were at work.”

“Okay, who did this??” Alex complained, pointing at the dogs who were both covered in glitter.

“I love,” Lizzie said, giggling as she wrapped her arms around Alex’s legs, still tighter than what was considered comfortable. “Krypto and Gertrude are sparkly.”

Scratch not so bad. April Fools was going to be a disaster.

 


	18. Chapter 18

_Falling slowly, eyes that know me_

_And I can't go back_

_Moods that take me and erase me_

_And I'm painted black_

 

The glass in Kara’s hand was shaking as she listened to Lena play on the piano, playing a song she was familiar with. Three months she’d been living in this beach house with her best friend, but the revelation roughly a month ago that Lena is in love with someone had hit her like a truck made out of kryptonite. So far she had no knowledge of her friend dating anyone and Lena hadn’t confided into her yet.

“Beautiful piece, isn’t it?” Lucy asked, causing Kara to jump slightly. “Got something on your mind?”

“Err, I guess,” Kara answered, grabbing a napkin to clean up the water she spilled from her glass. “I think Lucius and Larissa are getting good at playing piano,” she noted, smiling as her youngest son and oldest daughter joined Lena to play.

“They sure are,” Lucy agreed. “Look at you, a family mom.”

“I wouldn’t give this up for anything,” Kara whispered earnestly. “Lena and our children are everything to me,” she whispered, swallowing thickly, but thankfully Lena couldn’t hear her. “I like this place a lot more than my apartment.”

“Mhmm, it’s not bad,” Lucy hummed, one corner of her mouth curling up. “In the summer this place is going to be amazing. Man, I’ve always kind of wanted to live near a beach. It feels like I’m on a long vacation with my wife, this doesn’t feel like work at all, just a long family holiday.”

Kara appreciated that J’onn allowed Lucy to stay at the beach house, though she knew her friend was tasked with having to send weekly reports about the children to the DEO. If the decision had solely been for J’onn to make, her children would likely still be at the DEO for tests and supervision, but because he didn’t have parental rights or any other legal rights to hold children, he had to allow Lena and her to take them.

J’onn was a reasonable man, but he was also worried the children might wreak havoc or even turn out to be evil and attack the city. Lillian may have seen the children as her property and as her minions, but they weren’t. The children were innocent and harmless. It was a relief Lillian was stuck in the phantom zone, even though J’onn threw a bit of a tantrum about it.

“Well done, sweethearts,” Lena appraised Lucius and Larissa when they finished the song.

“Again, mama,” Lucius replied, smiling. “But this time something else,” he said, wiggling his fingers rather than cracking them, like Lena always did.

Lena smiled back at her youngest son and scooted a bit closer, grasping one of his hands.

Lucius’ eyes sparkled as he let Lena move his hand to play a new song.

“Can you teach me,… mama?” Larissa asked hesitantly. She got tongue-tied sometimes when she addressed Lena as mama and unlike her brother, wouldn’t let Lena grasp her hand to play.

Lena felt like a proud mother with all the progress her children had been making. Logan and Lorraine were the only ones who never called her mama. Larissa would only call her mama every now and then, and use her name during other moments. Lizzie and Lyra had no issues hugging her and calling her mama, while Lucius was slowly getting there.

“I’d be happy to, sweetie,” Lena answered, pointing at keys for Larissa to press. She’d never force contact. She wanted her children to feel comfortable to come closer at their own pace, to stipulate for themselves what their comfort zone was. 

“Mommy,” Lyra said, drawing Kara’s attention with a whiny tone. “Lorraine and I want to walk Krypto and Gertrude with Alex.”

“Okay, baby,” Kara replied, nodding. “But stay close to Alex.”

Lyra nodded and ran off to get Krypto’s leash. “I’m going to walk Krypto,” she called out to Lorraine.

Lorraine grabbed Gertrude’s leash and looked up at Alex. “Auntie Alex, can I walk Gertrude?” she asked, pouting.

“Of course, honey,” Alex answered, smiling as she ruffled Lorraine’s hair.

Kara glanced wistfully at her sister who, along with Maggie, wasn’t only addressed by her name by Lorraine and they were the only two adults her daughter didn’t flinch from. She wondered if it had something to do with how Lucius had attached himself to Astra and Lucy, while Logan had attached himself to Leslie, although Lucius had also warmed up to Lena and somewhat to her.

“We’ll be right back,” Alex said to Kara and Lena.

Lorraine slipped her free hand in Alex’s.

Lyra stared at Alex for a few seconds and chewed her lip before grabbing her other hand.

“Auntie Kara, can we make cupcakes?” Jamie asked, batting her eyelashes.

“I think you’ve read my mind,” Kara answered, smiling while she lifted her niece into her arms. “Sugar, check,” she said, tickling Jamie’s side.

“Nooo,” Jamie giggled, squirming in Kara’s grip. “I’m not sugar.”

“Are you sure?” Kara asked, adapting a serious tone. “You’re sweet, so you have to be sugar.”

“Seeing these little cuties makes me want to have children,” Lucy said, sighing as she smiled.

“There are ways to have children,” Astra said, balancing Lizzie on her hip.

“I should have known you’d say something like that, Star,” Lucy replied, grinning. “I think we’re good helping Kara and Lena with their munchkins.”

“I tried,” Astra whispered, shaking her head at Kara.

Kara chuckled. “That you did,” she said to her aunt, patting her back.

“By the way,” Lucy said, tapping the side of her head thoughtfully. “Our wedding anniversary is coming up in May, so Star and I will be gone for a weekend then,” she announced, in advance.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_You know who I am when I am out to save the city and you know who I am when I have to raid the fridge in the middle of the night when I’m hungry, and you catch me stuffing my face, yet you wouldn’t think any less of me. You’ve seen me all dressed up and you’ve seen me with an old worn shirt with chocolate stains on it, but the way you smile at me is always genuine, regardless of how I look. This is why I love you._

Lena dabbed at her eyes, smiling at the photograph of Kara and her sitting on the couch with a pint of ice cream. She remembered how they’d shared that pint of ice cream. Two scoops for Kara, one for her and then two scoops for Kara again, so okay, sort of shared. There was a smidge of ice cream on her designer blouse in the photograph, which she later failed to bring to the drycleaner due to the emotional value it held.

She had a suitcase filled with clothes that had emotional value and which she never wore anymore. Some of the clothes had stains because _oops, I’m such a klutz_ as Kara said it when she spilled something not only on herself but on her as well. There was a shirt in that suitcase with a red tomato stain because Kara had said _Lee, catch_ while she threw a tomato at her, which she’d been too late to catch.

If she’d start telling her best friend all the reasons why she loved her she might never finish. All in all, Kara was a major dork, an adorable one and she loved all of her quirks. She fell in love with the details, with things others may deem imperfect, such as how Kara yawned like a dinosaur, even though she kept denying it.

Or how Kara would hog up all the blankets or eat all of the food and go like _oh were you hungry?_ while chomping down on the last bit of food. She loved how Kara would poke her tongue out of the corner of her mouth when she was really trying to concentrate on something, such as decorating a cupcake to what she called perfection, while in reality she turned the cupcakes into massive calorie bombs, which she would never eat if it wasn’t for Kara’s pleading eyes.

She was so whipped for her best friend that it wasn’t even funny. Her feelings continued to grow stronger and the fact that they shared a room didn’t help. At night her lips quivered with the thought of wanting to kiss Kara’s supple lips and her fingers ached as she wanted to touch her in unfriendly ways. Each time she found herself daydreaming about her best friend, she felt that sucker punch of rejection of how Kara had said they’d always be friends. She never thought she’d ever want to ruin their friendship so badly. God did she want to ruin it by giving in to her feelings, but she couldn’t.

Hearing her secretary announce Agent Danvers was here to see her made her close the scrapbook and hurriedly put it away. She wasn’t interested in another conversation with Alex about her feelings for Kara because she didn’t come to work to spend her hours weeping. No, she’d done plenty of that when she’d been rejected without her best friend realizing it.

“Hey,” Alex said as she entered. “Are you ready to go through the last bits of paperwork?”

“Hello, Alex,” Lena replied, steeling herself. She got up and walked over to her couch, gathering the paperwork, which she had been reading through in bits and pieces. “Yes, I’m ready,” she answered, taking a deep steadying breath as she sat down.

Alex sat down on the couch next to Lena, her eyebrows creasing together as she placed a hand on Lena’s knee. “Are you sure?” she asked, glancing at Lena’s hands, which were gripping the paperwork so tightly she might rip them.

Lena had already learned about many horrors her mother had put her children through, both from her children as well as from what she read. “Yes, I want to get this over with,” she answered decisively. Later she’d run this by Kara too, like she always did.

“Okay,” Alex whispered, holding her hand out for half of the paperwork.

Lena divided the papers, handing Alex half. It helped they were both capable of reading and understanding Latin. “Wait, this is about when she created the children,” she said while she read the first paragraph. “Huh…,” she whispered, clicking her tongue.

“What is it?” Alex asked, abandoning her gaze from her half of the papers to look at Lena.

“She created all of the children on the same day. Not the same year, obviously, with their age gaps, but the same day of the same month,” Lena answered, frowning as she skimmed through the words further, which confirmed it. “Their birthday is all on the same day.”

“Makes it kind of easy to remember then,” Alex mumbled. “Which day is it?”

“June seventh,” Lena answered, her voice coming out like a whisper. She felt like a cold shower washed over her.

“June seventh,” Alex repeated, brows furrowing. “Hey isn’t that your birthday?” she asked, recalling how her sister always roped her into celebrating Lena’s birthday or even throw a surprise party.

Lena nodded wordlessly because yes, it was. Her mother never bothered to celebrate her birthday. There was never a cake or any gifts and as she’d grown older, her mother didn’t even visit her or wish her a happy birthday. It made her blood run cold how her mother created her children on her birthday. Twelve times even, because according to the paperwork, the first six whom were killed were also created on her birthday. It couldn’t be a coincidence and it made her stomach flip in a sickening way.

Alex muttered silently how much she loathed Lillian and pulled Lena into a sideways hug. “Maybe you should call it a day and go home,” she suggested, rubbing Lena’s back.

Lena shook her head. “I have a meeting in two hours,” she replied, sighing. “All I need is a glass of water and I’ll be fine,” she said with a strained smile.

“How about I’ll get you a glass of water and then we’ll talk, hm?” Alex offered while she stood up to do just that.

Lena sighed and smiled faintly. “How do I always let you talk me into talking about my feelings?” she asked, leaning back while Alex fetched a glass and water.

“Maybe because I’m pretty much your big sister,” Alex answered, smiling brightly as she poured Lena a glass of water and handed it to her. She sat back down on the couch. “Family looks after each other and you’re like a second kid sister to me.”

 


	19. Chapter 19

Kara stroked Lena’s hair, whose head was resting on her chest in their bed. She hated how her best friend had gotten upset, hated how Lillian created the children all on June seventh, in different years. It had to be on purpose to give Lena a jab and if her aunt hadn’t already sent Lillian off to the Phantom Zone in a pod to suffer forever, she’d have done it herself.

“Their birthday is only a month and a half away,” Lena whispered, exhaling. “We should make it special for them, they never celebrated anything and April Fools didn’t count and neither did Valentines.”

“Mhmm,” Kara hummed, agreeing with that. April Fools was more a day to pull pranks rather than celebrate and Valentines was a day they were too young for. “We can throw them a birthday extravaganza,” she suggested, picturing tons of balloons, for starters.

“I’m not sure if what you might have in mind would be a good idea,” Lena replied, shifting slightly in Kara’s arms so she could look at her. “Personally, I think we have to be careful not to overwhelm them. So I would suggest no loud music for sure, given loud noises startle them.”

“Yes, I agree, no loud noises,” Kara whispered, nodding. “If we do play some music, we need to keep the volume modest. I was thinking we could have some balloons.”

“We could arrange balloons with helium in them,” Lena suggested, wondering if their children had ever seen a balloon, though it was doubtful they had.

“Good idea,” Kara agreed, smiling. “Those are a lot better than balloons we have to blow up ourselves, plus I’m kind of bad at blowing up balloons.”

“Kind of is an understatement,” Lena replied with a teasing tone. “You take blowing up balloons very literally.”

“Hey,” Kara whispered, giving Lena a light push that was more of a brush. “I can’t help it.”

“I could order cakes at a bakery,” Lena suggested, thinking how making cakes would take a long time with so many mouths to feed. “Their names could be written on them.”

“Yes, we should have one cake for each of our children, maybe two,” Kara replied, smiling when Lena chuckled. “We could go shopping for gifts together.”

Lena groaned at the thought of going shopping, which was something she had always loathed doing. Shopping was a dreadful tiring way of spending time and with Kara it was even more tiring because she’d need to holler after her to keep up. Then again, her best friend’s smile and enthusiasm made it all much more bearable.

Kara smiled while she began to think about which gifts they could buy for their children. Truthfully, she wanted to give them more than one gift each because she wanted to spoil them, but she had to keep in mind not to overwhelm them. On the side she would have to discuss with her sister, Maggie, Lucy and her aunt how they were going to do something for Lena’s birthday.

“The girls will be easier to select gifts for,” Lena mused aloud, thinking how they’d be happy with dolls for example.

“Oh Rao, I have an idea,” Kara whispered, silently clapping her hands together. “Lucius loves magic and our other children like magic as well. How about we organize a magic show for their birthday?”

“Kara Danvers, you are a genius,” Lena replied as her eyes lit up. She smiled when Kara’s cheeks reddened, likely because of the compliment, which always made her friend shy.

“We could invite some _friends_ ,” Kara suggested, making air quotes when she said friends, “to help us with our magic show.”

“Well, considering Lyra is close with Lilith, she would probably be happy having the Gotham gang over,” Lena whispered thoughtfully, frowning when Kara chuckled as she said Gotham gang. “I suppose Leslie and Ivy can help out with our magic show.”

“Yes,” Kara whispered, nodding. “So far they’ve behaved, or well, here at least,” she whispered, thinking of all the trouble they were causing in Gotham, which wasn’t her territory and therefore not her problem. “My aunt and I can do some tricks as well, and maybe you can do some science-y stuff.”

“You are full of good ideas tonight,” Lena whispered, pleasantly surprised. “I wonder if they would be scared of clowns. J’onn wouldn’t mind shape shifting into a clown, would he?”

Kara laughed at the idea of J’onn looking like a clown. “If my sister and I ask him nicely he won’t be able to say no,” she reasoned. “Can you believe our oldest son will be turning thirteen soon?” she asked in a whisper, feeling like time went too fast and it saddened her she’d missed so many years of his life.

Lena swallowed thickly. She knew it hurt them both how they basically missed Logan’s childhood, who was already a teenager. “Lillian took a lot away from us and from them, and that’s not fair, but we’re a family now and that’s something she can never take away,” she whispered, grateful to have a real family.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

“We won’t be able to leave to celebrate our wedding anniversary unless you put Lizzie and Lucius down, Star,” Lucy said, sighing loudly, although she was smiling.

Kara chuckled at the sight of her aunt with her youngest daughter and her youngest son wrapped around her neck. She wasn’t sure if it was tougher for her children to let go or for Astra. “You’ll only be gone for one weekend,” she said to her aunt, shaking her head.

“This family is so dramatic,” Maggie commented, grinning.

Lucy dragged her suitcase over the floor. “Are you really not going to give me a hand with this?” she asked her wife, raising an eyebrow.

“Perhaps I enjoy watching you work out,” Astra answered with a coy smile.

“Why did you pack so much anyway, Luce?” Alex asked, frowning at the suitcase. “You’re going away for two days, not two weeks.”

“You’d understand if you’d know what’s in this suitcase,” Lucy answered with a naughty smirk.

“Oh Rao,” Kara said, very much regretting she used her x-ray vision. “I did so not need to see that,” she whispered, shaking her head in an attempt to shake the image of the adult toys.

“What’s in it?” Lyra asked, grasping her glasses to tip them down.

“Nonono,” Kara said, stopping Lyra from having a look. Not that her daughter would make much out of it, but she’d still rather keep her from seeing the array of dildos and other things she didn’t need to know her aunt used.

Astra gently untangled Lizzie and Lucius from around her neck. “I shall be back soon, darlings,” she promised, caressing their cheeks.

“Who’s going to read me a bedtime story when you’re gone?” Lucius asked Astra, pouting.

“I can read you a bedtime story,” Lena offered.

“But aunt Astra reads them better,” Lucius replied, still pouting.

“Aunt Astra needs some time alone with her wife, sweetie,” Kara said gently to Lucius. “She’ll be back soon to read you all the stories you’d like.”

“I love,” Lizzie mumbled, pulling at Lucy’s hand to pull her down for a hug. “No pain?” she asked, wrapping her arms around Lucy.

“No pain,” Lucy answered, rubbing Lizzie’s back. “Bye, sweetie,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to the crown of Lizzie’s hair.

Lena struggled to believe it was May already. In a month her children’s birthday would roll around the corner. Her children had been here for five months now and they still had their struggles to adapt, but she was proud of them for how much they adapted already. She was still hoping she would be allowed to hug them all someday.

Lucy and Astra had barely left when Leslie, Ivy and Harley arrived with Lilith and Vladimir.

“Hey, we’re here to invite yer children,” Harley said to Kara, Lena, Maggie and Alex.

“We are arranging a sleepover,” Ivy clarified. “Lizzie, Lyra, Lucius, Lorraine, Larissa, Logan and Jamie are welcome to come.”

“To Gotham?” Lena asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yep,” Harley answered with a wide smile. “It’ll be loads of fun.”

“The three of you want to take seven children with you for a sleepover?” Alex asked skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I think we’ve made that clear,” Leslie grumbled.

“No,” Lena said, shaking her head. “Absolutely not,” she said, not wanting her children to go to a strange place, especially not Gotham.

“I agree with Lena,” Kara said, nodding at her best friend.

“Yeah, my wife and I agree as well,” Maggie said. “Jamie’s not going anywhere.”

“Geez, let up a little will you?” Leslie commented, mumbling. “We’re not going to eat them or something.”

“Mommy, why can’t we go?” Lyra asked, pouting as she held Lilith.

“Gotham is a dangerous place, sweetie,” Kara answered, sighing. “Your mama and I would be really worried.”

“How about Lilith and Vladimir sleep over here instead?” Lena suggested, glancing around for any possible protests. “Consider it a compromise,” she said, not planning to relent on letting her children go to Gotham.

“Whatever ya say,” Harley said, shrugging. “We can have some fun in Gotham,” she said to Ivy and Leslie, grinning.

Ivy smiled. “Perhaps bat would like to play,” she said, licking her poisoned lips.

“I suppose it is fine for Lilith and Vladimir to sleep over,” Kara said, shifting from one leg onto the other. “Vladimir can share a room with the boys.”

“He can sleep in my bed,” Lucius offered. “I’ll share with Logan.”

“Lily can sleep in my bed,” Lyra said, grasping Lilith’s hand.

“It’s all settled then,” Lena said, a bit tense.

“Good, we’ll hit the road,” Leslie said, nudging Harley and Ivy. “Catch you later, kid,” she said to Logan, giving him a fist bump.

“You’re my best friend, Lily,” Lyra said, hugging Lilith a little bit tighter.

“You’re my best friend, too,” Lilith replied, smiling. “You were my first friend because the children in Gotham where I live avoid me because I’m the joker’s daughter.”

“At least they don’t throw stones at you,” Vladimir huffed. “It’ll get better, Lily,” he said, smiling weakly as he ruffled his sister’s hair.

“Why don’t you stop them?” Logan asked Vladimir, frowning.

“I don’t have any powers like you do and most of them are bigger than me,” Vladimir answered, sighing. “It’s fine though, friends are overrated.”

“I’ll be your friend,” Logan said, placing his hand on Vladimir’s shoulder.

Lena wanted to hug Vladimir and he wasn’t even her son. She knew the pain of growing up without a friend, to be spit on by others. She’d been lucky when she met Kara as an adult and ended up gaining a family. Now more than ever, she felt proud of her oldest son, who’d usually show Vladimir the door.

“My friend,” Lizzie said, smiling while she grasped Vladimir’s hand, who groaned. “Pain?” she asked, pouting.

“I can’t believe a two year old is much stronger than I am,” Vladimir mumbled.

“Maybe Lizzie can be your bodyguard,” Logan snickered.

“Hardy har har,” Vladimir replied, nudging Logan. He turned his attention to Larissa and grasped one of her hands. “My sweets,” he whispered, kissing her knuckles. He looked up at Logan who was glaring. “You’re going to show me the door again aren’t you?”

Larissa chuckled as Logan fisted Vladimir’s shirt and dragged him towards the door.

 


	20. Chapter 20

Krypto jumped on top of one of the couches and claimed his place next to Lyra, resting his head onto her lap.

Lyra smiled and gently petted Krypto. “Come sit next to me, Lily,” she said, tapping the free spot on her other side.

Lilith didn’t need to be told twice and quickly sat down next to Lyra.

Jamie stole another two spots on the couch that could fit eight people with Gertrude, sitting down next to Lilith, who was smiling at her.

Alex and Maggie decided to sit near their daughter, smiling when Lorraine joined them, therefore taking up the last few spots on the couch.

The other couch was only suitable for six people, which meant they had one place too short, though that was quickly solved when Lizzie latched on to Kara.

Lucius sat down next to Lena with a shy smile.

Logan and Larissa claimed the corners of the couch.

Kara sighed quietly as she took her place between Lena and Vladimir. At least all of her children were sitting down and weren’t all huddling together on one couch.

“Warm,” Lizzie mumbled when Lena unfolded a blanket.

“Okay, children,” Lena said while she scrolled through the kids section on Netflix. “Which movie are we going to watch?” she asked, hoping they wouldn’t all start calling out different movies.

“Harry potter,” Lucius answered without missing a beat.

“No, we’ve seen Harry Potter lots of times,” Lorraine said. “I want to watch another movie.”

Kara closed her eyes and sighed when the children began to discuss which movie they wanted to watch, calling out different movies and arguing why they should or shouldn’t watch a certain movie. Well, at least they were improving on speaking their mind without apologizing for it all the time.

Half an hour and a heartbreaking pout from Lizzie later, they were all watching _my little pony_.

Lizzie squealed each time she saw a pony, which was pretty much throughout the whole movie. “I want a pony,” she said, clenching and unclenching her fingers, as if she wanted to grab the ponies out of the television screen.

Lena smiled and glanced at Kara, who raised an eyebrow. Money was certainly not an issue and if her little princess wanted a pony while her birthday was coming up she didn’t see why not.

Kara’s eyes widened when she caught the look in Lena’s eyes that said _let’s buy her a pony_. She sighed and shook her head once, to which her best friend almost managed a pout as her eyes flicked towards Lizzie, who was giggling at the movie.

Lena’s lips curled up into a smile again when Kara rolled her eyes and nodded. She remembered one of the things her best friend wrote in the scrapbook. _I like how we can have conversations with our eyes only because we know each other that well, how I don’t need to speak for you to understand what I’m thinking. This is why I love you._

Kara had one arm looped around Lizzie to hold her in place. She nudged Lena’s hand under the blanket with her free hand.

Lena bit her lip and laced her fingers together with Kara’s, feeling a lot warmer all of the sudden. She knew it wasn’t strange for them to have such contact, but the spontaneous way of it all made it feel special.

Kara’s breath hitched in the back of her throat when she felt Lena’s thumb stroking her hand. Perhaps her earlier feelings that she might feel more for her best friend than friendship weren’t really a maybe, more of a definitely. Any doubts she had faded away as she admitted to herself that she wanted this, wanted Lena in her life as a constant presence, as more than a friend. The only problem was that Lena was in love with someone else, someone unknown to her.

Lena pressed her lips together to stop a gasp from escaping her when Kara gave her hand a gentle familiar squeeze, a squeeze that said _I’m here_. Her lips formed a smile and she squeezed back, tracing her eyes over Kara’s face. She’d long lost her focus on the movie.

Kara mouthed _I love you_ to Lena. It was somewhat risky, but she knew her best friend would know she meant it platonically, or well to be honest, she didn’t mean it platonically, but that was what Lena would think.

Lena knew Kara said it as a friend, but her silly heart beat faster regardless. _I love you, too_ she mouthed back, pouring nothing but truth in her words. She wanted to say so much more, wanted to tell her how she couldn’t stop thinking about her as more than a friend, how she wanted to hold her for the rest of her life and kiss her breathless. God, she’d fallen in love with her best friend, which was a big no-no and some sort of unwritten don’t do that rule.

In the back of Lena’s mind a small voice gave her false hope, saying _at least she isn’t straight, it could have been worse_. No, none of that mattered, Kara didn’t feel the same. One day her best friend was going to be in a relationship with someone who wasn’t her and that stung. The idea of being married was a dream for her while Kara had made it clear she found it disgusting, considering her to be a sister rather than a possible lover.

“More,” Lizzie said when the movie ended.

“It’s getting late, baby,” Kara replied, stroking Lizzie’s hair. “We can watch another movie tomorrow.”

“Mommy is right,” Lena agreed. “I think it’s time for you to put your pajama on, brush your teeth and go to bed.”

“Super jammies,” Lizzie said, smiling as she crawled down from Kara’s lap.

Kara chuckled. “That’s right, baby,” she replied, following Lizzie with her eyes as she ran off to go get her Supergirl pajamas. “Logan, sweetie, will you go with your siblings and make sure they brush their teeth?”

“Yes, Kara,” Logan answered, getting up from the couch. “Come,” he said to his siblings.

“You too,” Lyra said to Lilith and Jamie.

Maggie yawned and stretched her arms, landing one arm around her wife. “I’m tired,” she mumbled, making smacking noises with her lips as she yawned. “I think I’m going to call it a night.”

“So exhausted,” Alex said, faking a yawn. “Would you mind tucking Jamie in for us?” she asked her sister.

“No, of course not,” Kara answered, frowning slightly at Alex and Maggie’s odd behavior. “Have a good night.”

“Mhmm,” Alex hummed, grasping her wife’s hand. “You two have a good night as well,” she said, winking at Lena.

“We’ll see you in the morning,” Maggie said. “Goodnight.”

Lena awkwardly cleared her throat when she was left alone with Kara on the couch while the children were getting into their pajamas and hogging up the bathroom. “It hasn’t been cold today,” she whispered, her thumb still stroking Kara’s hand. “Would you care for a walk on the beach once we’ve put the children to bed?”

“Sure, I’d love to,” Kara answered silently, smiling. “Maybe we can even go for a swim.”

“I’m afraid it’s a little bit too cold to go in the water,” Lena replied, knowing the water would be colder, even though Kara would be there to keep her warm. “Don’t let that stop you from swimming though.”

“I’d rather stay close to you,” Kara said, a little too fast and without thinking much. “I’m not going to ditch my best friend to go swimming.”

Lena almost blurted out she wanted to ruin their friendship. Her inner gay was screaming to be near Kara.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Sweetie, I think three is a bit – okay,” Kara said, smiling softly when Lizzie crawled in Lyra’s bed, where Lilith was also going to be sleeping. Two out of three nights, her daughters would share a bed. It seemed a bit crowded, but they were little and made it work.

Lena tucked the blanket around the girls and glanced briefly at Jamie, who was alone in her bed. “I think Jamie would like some cuddles,” she said, looking at Lizzie. “Soft cuddles,” she added when she saw Jamie’s eyes widening.

Lizzie smiled and slipped out of bed to run over to Jamie’s bed. “I love,” she whispered, getting under the covers.

“Careful, little cousin,” Jamie warned in slightly chipped English.

“Are you going to sing us a lullaby, mommy?” Lyra asked, batting her eyelashes. “I want the Kryptonese lullaby.”

Lena’s eyes lit up when Kara sit down at the edge of Lyra’s bed and she knew she’d sing the lullaby. The words were entirely foreign to her, but sounded beautiful and poetic. She loved hearing her best friend sing the lullaby her parents used to sing to her. One day she’d properly learn to sing it so she could help to pass it on to their children.

Once Kara was done singing, she kissed the girls’ forehead and wished them sweet dreams.

Lena did the same and tiptoed out of their bedroom with Kara to go put the rest of their children to bed. Perhaps one night, she’d get to kiss Lorraine, Larissa and Logan goodnight as well or even tuck them in. It was easier with their younger children, who were warming up to them faster than their eldest children did.

“Will you play something for us,… mama?” Larissa asked, swallowing thickly around the word _mama_ , which always sounded as if she had something stuck in her throat.

Kara tried to tuck Lorraine in, but her daughter shied away from her and hid under the covers. Five months and she’d yet to be allowed tucking Lorraine in. She took a step back, trying not to look disappointed.

“It’s late, sweetheart,” Lena answered, reaching out to brush a lock of Larissa’s hair back. It was a mistake because her oldest daughter flinched at the contact. She just wanted to love her children, all of her children, equally. “But I suppose a short piece would be fine,” she relented, glancing at Kara.

“I’ll go get your piano,” Kara replied with a tender smile. She wouldn’t have been able to say no either and admittedly, it was late, but nobody was sleeping yet. Oh Rao, her sister and Maggie were definitely not sleeping judging from the sounds she really didn’t need to hear.

When Lena had her piano, she played a small piece of a song she knew Larissa really liked. “Sweet dreams, my angels,” she whispered, lingering near their beds.

“Goodnight, sweethearts,” Kara whispered, lifting the piano to go put it back in the living room.

Lena cast one last glance at Larissa and Lorraine before leaving their bedroom to go check on the boys.

Kara found herself having to retrieve the piano when Lucius – who’d overheard Lena play – asked her to play something for him as well.

“You’re a wonderful pianist,” Vladimir said to Lena. “It’s new for me to be played to before going to sleep.”

“What do Harley, Ivy and Leslie do before you go to bed?” Kara asked Vladimir, her curiosity taking the upper hand. She knew they had to care for the boy, given Livewire made it clear she’d take revenge on the joker for having been such a poor father if he’d ever get out of Arkham.

“My mom usually tells me a scary story,” Vladimir answered, grinning. “And Ivy creates a flowerbed so it’ll be softer for me to sleep while Leslie uses her electricity to recreate thunder, because I like thunder.”

“What’s it like to have three mothers, Vladimir?” Lucius asked, a crinkle appearing between his eyebrows.

“Ivy and Leslie aren’t really my mothers,” Vladimir answered, shaking his head. “I only have one mother.”

“But they take care of you like parents would,” Lucius countered, frowning.

“So?” Vladimir replied, shrugging. “Kara and Lena are your mothers, but Maggie, Alex, Lucy and Astra also take care of you,” he pointed out. “You don’t hear me saying you have six parents.”

“Time to sleep, boys,” Kara said. “Sweet dreams.”

“Sleep well, darlings,” Lena said, slipping out of the room with Kara so she could go walk on the beach with her. “I’m going to slip into something comfortable before we go outside,” she whispered to Kara.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case any of you were wondering, yes, it's fun to torture you all. :)


	21. Chapter 21

Kara was relieved Lena didn’t have super hearing because when her best friend exited their bedroom, clad in a loose black shirt and no pants, she gulped. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen Lena like this before, but seeing her walking around like that while she realized she was into her romantically made her see Lena in a whole new light.

Lena ran a hand through her hair and smiled at Kara who was fumbling with her glasses. “Ready when you are, El,” she whispered, not bothering with shoes as she walked to the front door.

“Err, right,” Kara replied, jolting herself into action. She folded her glasses and placed them on the counter before following Lena out the door.

Lena stood a few steps away from her beach house, whipping her head around to look at Kara. She stretched her arm out, extending a hand, waiting for Kara to take it. She knew it would look innocent enough for her best friend not to suspect anything.

Kara didn’t waste a second to slip her hand into Lena’s. She was grateful she didn’t sweat easily otherwise her hands would have been clammy for sure.

“It’s a beautiful night,” Lena whispered, admiring the moon, which was full tonight.

Kara swallowed and gazed at Lena, who was looking up at the moon. “It sure is,” she agreed, her eyes not leaving her best friend. She glanced away before Lena could catch her staring.

The moonlight shimmered onto the water, which looked almost black in the darkness of the night. Lena was quite taken by the sight of it, but not as taken as she was by the sight of Kara, who was wearing sweatpants and a shirt with donuts on it.

Kara could hear the waves crashing against the shore as Lena led her closer to the water, until she could almost feel the water touching her feet. “We could walk to that pier over there,” she suggested, bopping her head towards it. They’d only take five minutes to reach it, at a slow pace.

“Okay,” Lena whispered, smiling when Kara swung their arms. She felt relaxed and carefree. The moonlight was nowhere near as illuminating as her best friend. “You’re staring, Kara,” she noted, though she was doing the exact same thing.

“I just can’t believe a shirt is all you’re wearing,” Kara replied, dragging her eyes down Lena’s body. “You look mesmerizing though, you should wear a shirt more often.”

“More often than every night?” Lena asked, chuckling when Kara blushed. It was unfair how her best friend’s compliments made her heart flutter while Kara considered her to be a sister.

Kara drew a heart into the sand with the tip of her toes, which didn’t stay long when the water washed it away.

Lena had to squint her eyes to make out what Kara was drawing, but before she could have a proper look the water had already washed over it. Once they reached the pier, she sat down, dangling her feet over the edge.

Kara sat down next to Lena, watching the wind flow through her hair. It was tempting to reach out to run her hand through her locks and do even more than that, but she had to contain herself at least a little bit.

“Have you ever wanted to do something spontaneous and damn the consequences?” Lena asked, tracing the frame of Kara’s face with the back of her index finger.

Kara’s eyes flit from Lena’s eyes down to her lips. Oh Rao, yes, there was one thing she’d definitely want to do despite the consequences, but she couldn’t. Risking losing her best friend was too big of a risk to take. “I err… umm…,” she answered, hesitating. “I’m not sure.”

Lena smiled and moved to stand up. She grasped the hem of her shirt, lifting it over her head as she turned her back towards Kara.

Kara’s jaw dropped when Lena exposed her bare back, standing on the pier wearing nothing but underwear as the shirt fell down with a silent thud. “Wha-what are yo-you doing?” she asked, stuttering ever so slightly.

Lena turned her face in favor of winking at Kara. She stretched her arms above her head and dove into the water, which was definitely too cold and being in the water was less gracious than her dive had been.

Kara gasped, but when Lena shrieked, she shredded her sweatpants and jumped into the water, keeping her shirt on. “I thought you weren’t going to go for a swim,” she said, wrapping her arms around her best friend and oh Rao, right, the nakedness. She kept her eyes trained on Lena’s face, not daring to look any lower.

Lena’s hardened nipples pressed against Kara’s clothed chest as she shivered in her arms. “Perhaps my idea wasn’t the brightest,” she admitted, although for her best friend to hold her like this she’d gladly do it all over again.

“You’re freezing,” Kara whispered, rubbing her hands up and down Lena’s back to warm her.

“I’m fine,” Lena replied, wanting to stay like this for just a little while longer. “The water is cold, but I’m sure you’ll keep me warm.”

“Of course,” Kara whispered, struggling to listen in on the children while she couldn’t ignore how fast Lena’s heart was beating. She needed to keep an ear trained onto their children, in case a nightmare awoke them or in case one of them would clamber out of their window again.

Lena rested her head onto Kara’s shoulder, kicking her legs in the water to keep herself above the surface, although she could feel her best friend was keeping them both floating in the water. She wondered if she was even worthy of Kara, worthy of a goddess.

Kara stayed in the water with Lena, until she felt her shivering too much and swam to the shore. “You’ll be warm soon,” she promised, scooping her friend into her arms to speed towards the beach house.

When Kara draped a blanket around Lena, Lena pulled Kara down on the couch with her. “Shh,” she whispered, nuzzling against her best friend. “Can we stay like this for a little while?”

Kara felt like her heart was in her throat. “Sure,” she answered silently, holding Lena closely. She pressed kisses against her friend’s wet locks. Oh Rao, she was so in love with Lena it hurt.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Maggie smiled while she danced through the kitchen with Jamie on her hip.

 

_Conoci, tres palabras_

_(I know, three words)_

_No hay un minuto del dia que no piense en ti_

_(There’s not one minute in the day when I don’t think of you)_

_No hay un silencio que no faltes_

_(There’s no silence when you’re not there)_

_Cuando te veo no lo puedo resistir_

_(When I see you I cannot resist it)_

_Daria todo por amarte_

_(I’d give everything to love you)_

 

“Five years ago I used to think you couldn’t be any more beautiful,” Alex said to her wife, smiling. “But then you became a mom.”

Tears touched Maggie’s eyes as she looked at her wife. “You and our daughter are my life,” she replied, caressing Jamie’s cheek. “I don’t think life can be any more perfect than this.”

“Mhmm, I agree,” Alex hummed, chuckling when Gertrude barked. “We didn’t forget about you, Gertie,” she cooed, crouching down to pet Gertrude. “Who’s a good girl? You are, yes you.”

“I love you, Alex,” Maggie whispered, grasping her wife’s hand to pull her up to stand.

Alex smiled and met her wife’s lips for a sweet kiss. “I love you, too, Mags,” she whispered, kissing her again.

“Seeing you two gays is making me gayer,” Lucy commented. “And I have to admit the whole kid thing has a certain appeal.”

“Having a child can make one’s life more complete,” Astra said, flipping a pancake.

“Mhmm, yes, but I’m nearing forty, so I’m getting old,” Lucy replied, grinning when her wife gave her an incredulous look. “I know you’re older, but you look flawless, you sexy Kryptonian. You don’t even have a single wrinkle, I’m kind of jealous.”

“I love you, wrinkles and all and nothing shall ever diminish my love for you, dear one,” Astra said, reaching out to catch her wife’s wrist to tug her closer.

Lucy hummed and let herself be pulled, pressing her lips to her wife’s.

“Now I’m getting gayer,” Maggie said, smirking while Kara was doing everything she could not to look at Astra and Lucy.

“Pancakes,” Lucius whispered, licking his lips.

“Yes, sweet boy,” Astra said to Lucius, ruffling his hair affectionately. “I have made a few blueberry pancakes, your favorite.”

“Thank you, aunt Astra,” Lucius replied, smiling as he looked up at Astra. “I’ll help to set the table.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Lena said to her son, opening the cupboard to hand plates to him.

Lucius winced when he gripped the plates too tight and broke them. “I’m sorry, mama,” he whispered, lip quivering.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Lena replied, crouching down to pull her son into a hug. “You’re still learning.”

Kara quickly cleaned the broken shards and reached for spares. It was a good thing they even had spares and it was definitely necessary.

Lena hoped that one day, her children wouldn’t be afraid she’d get mad or that she’d punish them for accidents.  

“My sweets,” Vladimir said to Larissa, pulling a chair back for her.

“My sister has a name,” Logan said lowly to Vladimir.

“Okay, bro,” Vladimir replied, holding his hands up. “May I sit next to you, Larissa, my sweets?”

Larissa chuckled when Logan glared at Vladimir. “You may, Vladimir,” she answered, placing her hands on her lap.

“You really are a tiny charmer, hm?” Lucy said to Vladimir. “Aren’t you a little young though?”

“I’ll wait for Larissa until I’m older,” Vladimir answered, smiling.

“You better,” Lena said to Vladimir with a faint smile.

“Auntie Maggie,” Lorraine said, tugging at Maggie’s pants. “I want to walk Krypto and Gertrude today.”

“Okay, sweetiepie,” Maggie replied, grasping Lorraine’s hand to go sit at the table. “We’ll walk them after breakfast.”

“Lena and I will be out today to arrange a few things,” Kara announced, sharing a nod with Lena. Now that everyone else would be home, it was a good opportunity to go gift shopping for their children’s upcoming birthday. “We shouldn’t take more than a few hours, tops.”

“Take all the time you need,” Alex replied, smiling. “Right guys?” she asked Maggie, Lucy and Astra, who nodded. “See, no rush.”

Lena could hear the underlying hint in Alex’s words, but going outside with Kara today wasn’t a date, unfortunately.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara was surprised when Lena didn’t complain about the way she held her hand in public with their fingers laced together, not even when several reporters snapped a picture. It was no secret to this city that they were friends, although sometimes articles were published with rumors about them being more than friends.

“What about that toy store over there?” Lena asked, pointing with her free hand at a large store across the street.

“We could check it out,” Kara answered, smiling while she let Lena lead the way. “I think those reporters are shadowing us,” she said, hearing the clicks of their cameras all too well.

“I believe some have noticed I have been hiding something,” Lena whispered, sighing. “However, our children are minors. They have no legal rights to print about them without our permission. I doubt they would risk unemployment and bankruptcy to piss me off.”

“I love it when you’re all protective and confident,” Kara blurted out. Lately she’d been speaking her mind too much while not speaking it enough at the same time.

Lena smiled while they entered the toy store. “Selecting gifts for our younger children will be a piece of cake,” she said as her eyes moved over the shelves. “I’m not certain what we should give our older children.”

“Hmm, yes, I’m not sure either,” Kara replied, about as clueless as Lena. “You’re not really going to give Lizzie a pony, are you?”

“You have seen the look on her face,” Lena answered, smiling as she remembered that precious moment. “Imagine how happy Lizzie would be if she’d have her own pony. Many little girls wish to have a pony and I have the means to make that happen. You have to let me spoil our baby girl at least a little bit, El.”

“I’ll admit I wouldn’t be able to say no to her cute little face either,” Kara confessed, chuckling because Lena was so whipped. “The gifts for our children aren’t going to be cheap are they?”

Lena smiled and revealed her platinum bankcard. “What is mine is yours, wifey,” she whispered with a teasing tone.

“You’ll never let me live it down that I called you wifey, will you?”

 


	22. Chapter 22

Lena smiled as she revealed paperwork to Kara, which she’d been dying to show her. Her children’s birthday was coming up in a week, but she had one big surprise for everyone.

“What’s this?” Kara asked silently, sitting up against the headboard in their bed.

“Read it,” Lena encouraged, sitting next to Kara.

Kara skimmed through the papers, eyebrows shooting up. “This is the deed of a house,” she concluded. “What…? Did you buy a house, another house?”

“I did,” Lena confirmed, smiling. “When I bought this beach house, it was a quick solution. Meanwhile, I have spent months looking for another house until I found one I find quite appealing, so I bought it. I figured we could continue to live in this beach house until summer is over, you know, being near the beach and all.”

“R-right,” Kara replied, a bit taken aback. “I’m not sure what to say.”

“We’ll still keep the beach house,” Lena whispered reassuringly. “I don’t intend selling it during the winter. This will be our vacation house,” she explained, having thought it all through. “The house I bought is near the park and near a decent school. Now I know our children aren’t ready for school yet, but someday they will be and then we won’t need to homeschool them anymore.”

“I see,” Kara whispered, paging through the pictures of the house Lena bought.

“Our new house has twelve bedrooms, twice as much as our beach house.”

“Our?” Kara asked, frowning. “Lee, you bought this beach house and the new house.”

“I did, but they’re ours,” Lena argued, smiling while she reached for Kara’s hand. “Alex, Maggie, Jamie, Lucy and Astra will be welcome to move with us once summer passes. With the amount of bedrooms we have there, I think we can use one of them as a guestroom in case Lilith and Vladimir want another sleepover sometime.”

“Good luck getting Lilith to sleep anywhere else other than next to Lyra,” Kara whispered, chuckling. “Those two are like two peas in one pod.”

“True, they are,” Lena agreed. “Oh and our new house has an indoor pool.”

“Oh Rao, that’s awesome,” Kara replied, already excited to move in. “So we move around October or something then? In four months from now?”

“Something like that, yes,” Lena answered, not sure on a date yet. “It also has its own library, which I assume our children will appreciate.”

“You spoil everyone way too much,” Kara whispered, shaking her head. “It’s sweet you took my sister, my sister in law, my niece, my aunt and my friend into consideration when you went house hunting, but I think Alex and Maggie will move back to Spain with Jamie at some point.”

“Either way, Alex, Maggie and Jamie will always be welcome to stay with us.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Balloons were all over the beach house. J’onn had shape shifted into a clown, red nose, curly hair and all. There were seven large birthday cakes with candles on each one of them. The guest list was very limited and included DEO agents for the most part, to supervise the party.

“Happy thirty-fifth birthday, beautiful,” Kara whispered to Lena, who groaned in response.

“Don’t remind me of how old I’m getting,” Lena whispered, sighing. “I believe you owe me thirty-five kisses,” she said, smiling, which was one of the few perks of getting older.

Kara smiled and began kissing Lena’s cheek, counting in her mind until she reached thirty-five. She’d rather kiss her best friend on the lips, but that wasn’t exactly a friendly thing to do.

Lena hoped she wasn’t blushing. “Happy birthday, sweethearts,” she said to her children, in sync with the other adults.

Kara wished time would slow down. Her youngest daughter turned three years old today, Lyra turned six, Lucius turned eight, Lorraine turned nine, Larissa turned eleven and Logan turned thirteen already.

“You’re growing up, kid,” Leslie said to Logan.

“I got ‘em,” Harley said, holding a stack of gifts in her arms. “Thanks, doll,” she said to Kara, when she took the gifts over from her.

“Children, let’s go outside for the magic show,” Alex said, holding the door open while she smiled.

“A magic show?” Lucius asked, eye lighting up.

“Yup, a magic show,” Maggie confirmed. “You’ve seen Harry Potter, but you’ve seen nothing yet.”

Kara and Lena shared a smile while their children, along with Jamie, Lilith and Vladimir, rushed outside for the magic show they’d prepared with their family and friends.

“Magic show first, then cake and then the presents,” Lena whispered to Kara, nodding. “I believe we are on schedule.”

“We sure are, Lee,” Kara replied, grasping Lena’s hand. It had become such an automated move that she didn’t even realize it at times. “Your organization is running smoothly.”

The children gasped when they saw the stage that was built on the beach, with curtains and all.

Lena stepped out onto the stage, grasping the microphone that was placed in the center. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, a magic show you have never seen before,” she said, capturing the amazed looks on her children’s faces with her eyes. “Kara and Astra, step out onto the stage, please.”

Kara and Astra stepped out from behind the curtains, ready for the act they practiced together.

“Kara will make Astra levitate,” Lena said, smiling while the children’s eyes were glued to Kara and Astra.

Kara revealed a replica wand from Harry Potter, which was actually just a piece of plastic. “Wingardium leviosa,” she said, waving the wand at her aunt.

Within a second, Astra began to float a few inches above the stage, higher when her niece moved the wand higher.

The children clapped while Lizzie squealed.

“Should Astra do a summersault?” Lena asked the children, smiling when they nodded. “Oh, I’m sorry, I can’t hear you,” she said, cupping a hand behind her ear.

“Yes!” Lyra shouted, standing up.

Astra did a summersault while the children applauded.

“For our next magic trick, we ask Ivy onto the stage,” Lena announced, making a grand gesture at the curtain while she had a feeling the Gotham gang wasn’t so bad, since they were helping to make this day special for her children. She knew Leslie, Ivy and Harley were considered villains in Gotham, but here in National City they were friends to her family.

Kara mumbled a spell and waved her wand, smiling when Ivy made flowers and plants grow all over the stage. She sighed when plants wrapped around her legs. “Very funny, Ivy,” she muttered, wriggling herself free.

“Who is ready for a lasso act from the great Livewire?” Lena asked, glancing around at the children. She knew her oldest children were mostly pricking through it, but they still seemed to enjoy the magic show. Her sweet little Lizzie was smiling so much she felt like combusting.

“Go, Livewire!” Logan cheered, winking at Leslie when she appeared on the stage.

While the magic show continued on Kara snuck away to sit with her children. “Do you remember how I said it is mama’s birthday too, today?” she asked silently.

“I remember, mommy,” Lyra answered, smiling.

“People give gifts on birthdays,” Logan said. “Which gift should we give Lena, Kara?”

“I’m glad you’re asking, son,” Kara answered, leaning a little bit closer. “I think I know just the thing.”

Lena frowned when she caught Kara whispering to their children and she wondered what they were talking about.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Pony!” Lizzie squealed. “I love, I love, I love!” she chanted while she ran up to her pony.

“Rao, I’ll never forget this moment,” Kara whispered to Lena, capturing a picture with her phone. “You made the right decision.”

“Look at our baby girl,” Lena whispered, crying tears of joy because Lizzie was so happy.

“There’s dust in my eyes,” Lucy said, wiping her tears away. “Lots of dust today,” she mumbled.

“I’m feeling it, too,” Maggie said, wiping at her own tears.

“I told myself I wasn’t going to cry,” Alex whispered, sniffling. “You two are such good moms,” she said to her sister and to Lena.

Lyra jumped up and down when she got several dolls and a large dollhouse. “Thank you, mommies,” she said, hugging Kara and Lena.

“Lucius, my little angel,” Lena said, smiling while Kara went to retrieve their youngest son’s gift. “Your mommy and I know how much you love playing piano with me, so we hope you’ll enjoy this gift.”

Kara put the gift down and let Lucius open it, awaiting his reaction.

Lucius gasped when he discovered the violin. “Oh, mama…mommy,” he whispered tearing up. He held the violin and grasped the bow. “I don’t know how to play yet,” he said when the sounds came out wrong.

“That’s okay, sweetie,” Lena replied softly. “You can take your time to learn.”

Lorraine smiled shyly when Kara and Lena put her gift down in front of her.

“A little birdie told us you want to be a cop when you grow up,” Kara said to Lorraine, glancing at Maggie.

“My own uniform,” Lorraine said, holding the gift in her hands. “And cuffs,” she said, smiling. “I can be your little helper, Auntie Maggie.”

“Perfect, I’ve needed one,” Maggie replied, winking at Lena and Kara.

Larissa peered curiously at her gift when Kara placed it down. “What is it?” she asked once she’d opened it, comparing it to what Lucius had.

“It’s a clarinet,” Lena answered. “I’ll teach you how to play it someday, if you’d like.”

Larissa nodded and smiled. “Thank you, mommy and mama,” she said, admiring the clarinet.

“Last but not least, Logan,” Kara said, putting his gift down.

“I hope I’m not going to regret this,” Lena whispered, squeezing Kara’s hand tightly. “Leslie helped us choose a gift for you,” she admitted to Logan.

Leslie grinned and held up a thumb.

“Oh Rao,” Logan said, gasping when he unwrapped his gift. “You got me a dirt bike? Wicked,” he said, hugging his bike.

“Please be careful when you ride it, sweetheart,” Lena said to her oldest son. She knew it was for ages thirteen and up, but Logan had just turned thirteen and he was still her little boy.

Kara knew Logan wouldn’t easily get hurt, though she shared Lena’s concern.

“You’re the best parents in the whole wide universe,” Logan said to Kara and Lena.

“My heart,” Lena whispered to Kara, gripping her chest. “I think I’m having palpations.”

Kara chuckled, considering the best had yet to come, which was the gift their children had for Lena. She winked a few times until their children caught on to it.

“Mama,” Lucius said, looking up at Lena. “My siblings and I have a birthday gift for you as well.”

Lyra bopped her head enthusiastically. “We hope you’ll like it, mama,” she said, smiling.

Lena’s lips parted slightly when her children all approached her at the same time and gave her one big group hug. “I love this gift,” she said, tearing up, thinking of how her children couldn’t have given her a greater gift than a hug. She crouched down and took her time to hug each and every single one of her children, feeling like her dream came true.

“I know what you did,” Alex whispered to her sister, standing next to her while she observed Lena. “You really love her, don’t you?”

“With all my heart,” Kara whispered, moved by Lena’s tears.

“As your sister, I want to give you a tip,” Alex whispered, squeezing Kara’s shoulder firmly. “Tonight when you take her away to celebrate her birthday, you should let her know how you feel, because one way or another, she’s the mother of your children and if you let her slip from your fingers I’m going to do more than smack you upside the head.”

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, one more. Don't rip your hair out or anything. :)

Lena’s birthday today wasn’t anything like her other birthdays, but she enjoyed it immensely. Her children were so happy with their birthday party and that made her birthday the best one ever. It was okay Kara hadn’t thrown a surprise party for her this year, because this year the focus was on their children, just like she wanted it to be.

“They’re finally asleep,” Kara whispered while she tiptoed into the living room, where Lena, Maggie, Alex, Astra, Lucy, Leslie, Harley and Ivy were sitting on the couch.

“Good, finally some private time for us adults,” Lucy commented, snaking her arms around her wife.

Kara sighed and hoped Lucy would at least wait until she’d be out the door with Lena. Aside from that she also hoped Leslie, Harley and Ivy wouldn’t mess up her bed tonight while they’d sleep in it, or at least she prayed that was all they’d be doing in her bed.

Lena glanced at the others, who were pouring more wine into their glasses. She was a little bit surprised Leslie, Harley and Ivy hadn’t left yet while it was getting quite late. It had been a tiring day and she had no plans of staying up until the middle of the night or something like that.

“I’m going to call it a night,” Alex said, yawning before finishing her glass of wine. “Mags, you coming?” she asked, holding a hand out.

“You bet,” Maggie answered, smiling as she took her wife’s hand.

Lucy chuckled while she looked at her wife’s face, who’d once again need to block out sounds she didn’t need to hear. “I’m going to sip some more wine,” she said, refilling her glass. “Drink up, Star,” she said, nudging her wife.

“I cannot get drunk from this wine,” Astra replied, grasping her glass.

“Hence yours isn’t regular wine,” Lucy announced with a naughty grin. “I borrowed a bottle from the dive bar.”

“I see, you wish to incapacitate me,” Astra noted, sipping from her glass.

“Close your eyes, Lee,” Kara whispered in Lena’s ear.

Lena frowned and closed her eyes, frowning more when she felt Kara wrapping a blindfold around her head. “El?” she asked, unable to see anything.

“Do you trust me?” Kara asked, scooping Lena into her arms. She mouthed a _thank you_ at Lucy who opened the front door for her.

“Always,” Lena answered, having no doubt about that. She gulped when she heard a whoosh and she was fairly certain Kara had flown up with her. “Where are you taking me?”

Kara smiled and cradled Lena closer to her chest where her heart was beating like crazy. “You’ll see,” she answered, chuckling as she glanced down at the blindfold.

“Dork,” Lena mumbled, smiling. The nightly air was on the chill side, but she felt warm in Kara’s embrace. Maybe she should have known old habits wouldn’t die and that her best friend would plan a surprise for her birthday anyway.

“It’s not far,” Kara whispered, keeping her speed modest to avoid it getting too cold for Lena. “You didn’t honestly think I wouldn’t celebrate your birthday, did you?”

“I thought we already had that covered with the cake,” Lena answered, admitting she did think that would have been it, which would have been okay. “Something tells me we won’t be at the beach house tonight.”

“You guessed it,” Kara replied, although she wouldn’t give away much more than that.

“Leslie, Harley and Ivy are staying at our beach house tonight, aren’t they?” Lena asked, sighing. “That’s why they were still there,” she concluded, understanding now why they’d looked so comfortable, as if they weren’t going anywhere. “I’m going to burn our sheets when we return.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Kara agreed, laughing lightly. “Maybe we should get a new bed altogether.”

Lena laughed and feeling Kara’s heart beating so close to her ear made her own heart beat faster. She was never going to stop loving her best friend, there was simply no way. Deep down it was always meant to be Kara for her. She didn’t quite believe in the concept of soulmates, but if they existed, she’d say her best friend was hers.

“Are you comfortable?” Kara asked, looking down at Lena, tempted to lean down and kiss her.

“Mhmm, I’m always comfortable in your arms,” Lena whispered, tangling her hands in Kara’s shirt. “I wouldn’t mind if you held me forever,” she confessed, hoping it could be seen as friendly banter.

Oh Rao, Kara wanted to, she really, really, wanted to. “Anything you wish, Lee,” she replied, feeling her breath catch. “I’d never get tired of holding you,” she flirted back, assuming Lena was kind of flirting with her. It wasn’t uncommon for them to dance on the edge of flirting, though recently they’d been doing it more than usual.

“You may not agree with everything I wish for,” Lena whispered with a saddened smile. It was a good thing Kara couldn’t quite see her eyes now, or she’d see the pain in them. “Some wishes are impossible to grant.”

“I’d say try me,” Kara challenged, not giving up so easily. “Maybe I’ll surprise you. After all, I’m kind of a wizard today.”

Lena chuckled. “An adorkable wizard,” she corrected. “That magic show was truly a brilliant idea of you.”

“So you’ve said,” Kara replied, blushing all over again at the praise. “I think you’ve been rubbing off on me.”

“I’ll do that more often then,” Lena whispered, holding on to Kara a little bit tighter. “How much further is it?”

“We’re almost there, I promise,” Kara answered, pressing a kiss to Lena’s forehead because she couldn’t help herself.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena’s eyes adjusted almost instantly when Kara removed the blindfold, given it was dark. They were standing on a balcony at a hotel. A few dimmed lights were on inside the hotel room and the glass door was open.

Kara stood in front of Lena, smiling while she dangled the key out in front of her. “I reserved this room for us,” she said, brushing past her best friend to put the key down, returning not even a second later. “There’s a bubble bath.”

“Oh my,” Lena whispered, smiling back at Kara. “You spoil me.”

“There is a bottle of champagne with your name written on it,” Kara said, taking one of Lena’s hands. “And there are soft silk robes which you are going to love. They’re red, which I know is your favorite.”

“Red is my color,” Lena replied, her eyes flickering while she looked forward to getting in the bubble bath with Kara. “How about bathing suits?”

Kara’s eyes widened. “Oh Rao,” she gasped, cheeks reddening as she realized she’d forgotten about bathing suits.

Lena chuckled and rested a hand on Kara’s shoulder. "It’s quite alright,” she assured her. “I prefer being naked anyway, it’s much more comfortable.”

Kara felt like she might faint if Lena were to get naked in front of her. “Did you… do you… er… um,” she said, trying to get out of her words. “Bubble bath?” she asked vaguely.

“I was thinking we could enjoy the view together for a little while and hop into the bubble bath later,” Lena suggested, stepping forward to get closer to the edge of the balcony.

“Of course, anything you want,” Kara replied eagerly, moving to stand next to Lena. “It’s your birthday.”

Lena gazed at all the lights in the city underneath them, which were beautiful to watch at night. She placed her hand on the railing and smiled when she felt Kara placing her hand on top of hers. “You mean a lot to me, Kara,” she whispered, slowly breathing out. “You’ll always mean a lot to me.”

“Lee, I have to… to tell you something,” Kara whispered, gathering her courage. She knew it may not be fair to do this right now, but she had to get it out, had to let Lena know the truth.

“Okay,” Lena replied, turning slightly to face Kara better. “What is it, El?” she asked, reaching out to caress her friend’s cheek, who ducked her head.

“I’m in love with you, Lena,” Kara blurted out, releasing a breath she’d been holding. She felt relieved she finally got to say it aloud, but also scared, if not terrified. “I’ve realized for a while now that I’m in love with you and that I want to be so much more than your friend. I should have told you sooner, but I couldn’t and I’ll understand if you don’t feel the same. I’ll still be your friend, no matter what happens.”

Lena burst out into tears and flung her arms around Kara’s neck. “I’m in love with you, too, Kara,” she confessed, holding her friend for dear life. She felt so happy that Kara felt the same way, which made her birthday impossibly better than ever. First her children hugged her and now she had Kara’s heart, there was no greater gift than that, there just wasn’t.

Kara’s eyes went round and she took a step back to size Lena up. “You are?” she asked, confused and surprised at once.

“Yes, I am,” Lena answered, feeling her heart beat out of control. “Can’t you hear it, feel it?” she asked, taking Kara’s hand to press it against her chest.

Something clicked in Kara’s head and she realized that all this time the person whom she’d been curious about whom Lena was in love with had been her. “I thought you were in love with someone else. I can’t believe I was jealous of myself this whole time,” she said, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Kara, you giant dork,” Lena replied, laughing along. It made much more sense now why Kara had seemed to be rejecting her in the past, why she kept voicing how they’d always be best friends. “It’s always going to be you for me,” she whispered, speaking from the bottom of her heart.

Kara cried and pulled Lena closer, who was crying as well. “I won’t waste another second,” she whispered, placing her index finger under Lena’s chin, gently coaxing her chin up. She caught Lena’s tears with her thumbs, gazing into her eyes, which held more tears.

Lena traced her hands up Kara’s arms, bringing them up to rest at the nape of her neck, coaxing her down, their faces inching closer to one another. She shuddered when Kara leaned down and she sank into the warmth of her lips, moving her hands to cup Kara’s cheeks. At last she got to kiss the love of her life and she wouldn’t stop anytime soon, not even when her lungs would beg her to come up for air.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's way past midnight already, so I'm going to call it a night. On the plus side, at least it's not really a cliffhanger. :)  
> I'm a devil, but I also happen to be a hopeless romantic at heart.


	24. Chapter 24

Kara stumbled into the hotel room with Lena, sharing giggles as they bumped into a bunch of things, such as a lamp and a table, while neither one of them was willing to break the contact.

Lena grasped the hem of Kara’s shirt, kissing her soundly on the lips as she lifted her shirt, needing to break their kiss for a moment to pull her shirt over her head. Before Kara’s shirt made it onto the floor, her lips were on hers again. She looped her fingers into Kara’s jeans and tugged her closer, kissing her harder, with more wanton.

Kara nipped at Lena’s lip to tease her, gentle and calculated while her hands slipped under Lena’s shirt. “You’re overdressed,” she whispered against lipstick smeared lips.

Lena took a step back and allowed Kara to take her shirt off. She shivered at the way Kara’s eyes drank her body in. With a sideways smile, she reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, pushing the straps aside and sliding it down her arms while Kara watched.

Kara startled into action and unclasped her own bra, tossing it to the floor next to Lena’s bra. “Bubble bath?” she asked, fingers at the button of Lena’s pants.

“Bubble bath,” Lena confirmed, kissing Kara’s neck.

Kara unbuttoned Lena’s pants and shimmied them down her legs. “My goddess,” she said, gazing up at Lena with nothing but pure affection, admiration and respect.

Lena found a whole new reason to shed emotional tears upon hearing those words spill from Kara’s lips. “You’re one to talk,” she whispered, smiling. “You, darling, are a goddess,” she said, pulling Kara up to her feet. “I was so worried I wouldn’t be worthy of you,” she confessed.

“Nonsense, Lee,” Kara replied, surprised Lena would ever doubt her worth so much. “You are so much more than worthy of me. Even being near you makes me a very lucky woman.”

“Charmer,” Lena chuckled, though she knew Kara was being sincere. She helped Kara out of her pants and guided her towards the bubble bath. “Cute undies,” she said, glancing at Kara’s pink underwear which had care bears on them.

Kara blushed and bit her lip. The fact that her underwear looked cute was the reason why she bought it. She loved cartoons and all the likes. “You look...,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Sexy,” she concluded, a little shy.

Lena on her part, was wearing red lacy underwear, which matched with her bra that was currently on the floor. She pushed her underwear down, feeling confident when she heard Kara gasp. “Care to join me or would you rather watch?” she asked, setting one foot inside of the bubble bath.

“Oh Rao,” Kara whispered, hurrying out of her underwear to join Lena in the bubble bath. “How does the temperature feel?”

Lena moved to straddle Kara’s lap, brushing her hair to the side. “Hot,” she answered, kissing the shell of Kara’s ear.

“Le-Lena,” Kara spluttered. “I meant the water,” she said, though she had a feeling Lena knew that.

“It feels good,” Lena replied, feeling relaxed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop kissing you,” she whispered, pressing open-mouthed kisses against Kara’s neck.

“Then don’t stop,” Kara replied, moving her hands up and down Lena’s bare back. “We have all night, Lee, and after tonight we have our entire future ahead of us,” she said, smiling because she wouldn’t be going anywhere. She reached around the tub until she found her hair-tie. “Someone once asked me if I’d ever wanted to do something spontaneous and damn the consequences.”

Lena smiled, feeling happy Kara remembered she asked her that one night when they sat on the pier together near their beach house. Her eyes followed Kara’s hand as she clutched the hair-tie in her hands like it was something precious.

Kara hadn’t planned this, but she hadn’t even expected she’d end up kissing Lena tonight. “Lena Luthor, will you do me the honor of marrying me?” she asked, holding out the hair-tie, which had to do until she’d get her a ring. The hair-tie would serve as a promise.

Lena knew a sudden proposal would have sounded crazy, if it hadn’t been for the fact that they’d been best friends for over a decade, while harboring feelings for one another. “Yes,” she answered, tearing up for the umpteenth time.

Kara slid the hair-tie around Lena’s wrist and brought her hand up to her mouth, pressing a kiss to her palm. “My heart and my soul are devoted to you, Lena,” she said, smiling as she caressed Lena’s cheek.

Lena cried more and wrapped her arms around Kara, who held her. “Leave it to us to get all emotional during this romantic night,” she whispered, chuckling.

Kara chuckled as well. “Imagine how many tears we’ll be crying when we get married,” she replied, listening to Lena’s heartbeat. “I’ve been so blind for so long.”

“Me too,” Lena whispered, relieved everything was out in the open now. “I see everything clearly now.”

Kara’s lips parted when she remembered her aunt’s advice about needing a fresh look. “Um, something tells me the others knew,” she said, which had her wondering how oblivious she must have been.

“I feel like such an idiot, but at least we’re being idiots together,” Lena said, chuckling as Kara smiled. “This feels like a dream, you, me us, engaged. You may have to pinch me.”

“Okay,” Kara replied simply, pinching Lena.

“You dork, I didn’t mean that literally,” Lena laughed, swatting at Kara’s hand. “Ouch by the way,” she said, although it hardly hurt.

Kara’s smile reached her eyes. “I’ll kiss it better,” she offered, launching a kiss attack on Lena.

Lena tried to counter the attack of kisses with kisses of her own, causing water from the bubble bath to spill all over the floor. “Given I’m the birthday girl and you have more energy to spare, I take it you’ll clean that up later,” she said, teasing as she pointed at the floor.

“Of course,” Kara replied, holding a hand to her chest while her tone was higher pitched than normal. “I’ll make sure to clean it all up with your shirt.”

“The monstrosity,” Lena said, feigning a gasp. “So it’s not enough to get me wet, you have to make my shirt wet, too?”

“What can I say, Lee?” Kara said, a smile playing at her lips. “I know how to make a lady wet,” she said, adding a wink.

Lena’s jaw dropped, pleasantly surprised by Kara’s naughty comeback. “And speechless, I might add,” she said, slowly coming down from her shock.

Kara stepped out of the tub and helped Lena out of it, making sure to steady her so she wouldn’t slip. “We can go at your pace,” she said, not wanting to risk going faster than Lena would be comfortable with.

“We can start with kissing like we have been doing and see what spirals from there,” Lena suggested, wanting to go with what she felt. It didn’t feel as if they were rushing things, not after how long she’d been in love with Kara and how close they’d been for many years.

Kara nodded and followed Lena onto the bed, smiling when Lena pinned her down. Her smile turned into a blush when she became aware again how naked Lena was, how every inch of her skin was exposed.

“Like what you see?” Lena asked, moving her fingertips down Kara’s bare chest.

“I love what I see,” Kara answered, surprising Lena by taking the upper hand. “You’ll look gorgeous in a wedding dress or a tux, whichever you prefer.”

“A dress,” Lena whispered, tangling her hands in Kara’s hair. “I must admit I’d kill to see you in a suit that’s not your supersuit,” she confessed, drawing Kara into a kiss.

Together they were lying down on the bed, cuddling whilst being naked.

“Body heat stealer,” Kara whispered, kissing Lena’s jaw.

“Baby dinosaur,” Lena teased when Kara yawned. “Stealing your heat is a nice bonus, but stealing your heart was more than enough.”

“Mhmm, I forgive you for stealing my heart, considering I stole yours.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena woke up, a little surprised when she didn’t feel Kara next to her. She needn’t panic though, considering she immediately spotted her fiancée – oh god, they were truly engaged – standing near the edge of the bed, partially dressed.

“Rise and shine, beautiful,” Kara said, smiling. She gestured at the window where she already opened the curtains. “It’s a sunny day.”

Lena should have guessed Kara would be energetic right away. It was such a typical thing for her to radiate positivity. “For a moment I thought I was a one night hookup when I woke up without you next to me,” she replied, completely teasing.

“I’m going to spend every night with you,” Kara assured right away, dashing towards the bed to wrap Lena in her arms. “And hog up all the blankets,” she added, chuckling.

“Is it too late to file for a divorce?” Lena asked, laughing when Kara gasped.

Kara pushed Lena down and tickled her sides. “A divorce, hm?” she asked, smiling as she leaned down to capture her fiancée’s lips. “You ought to marry me first, Lee.”

“Duly noted,” Lena replied, pulling Kara down on top of her. “Five more minutes, then we can go and have breakfast.”

Kara feigned a cough when her stomach rumbled. “Make it ten, I’m not hungry yet anyway,” she whispered, nuzzling closer to Lena.

Lena smiled and kissed Kara’s temple. “Liar,” she whispered, closing her eyes to relax into the moment.

“I love you too,” Kara replied, smiling. “After breakfast we can head into the city to select rings,” she suggested, looking forward to make their engagement even more official.

“Someone sounds eager to get rings,” Lena noted, blinking her eyes open to look at Kara. She combed through her fiancée’s blonde locks. “What’s the hurry?” she asked, although she didn’t mind one bit.

Kara blushed furiously. “I um… er… I want people to know you’re mine,” she confessed.

“The second the media spots me with a ring around my finger, there is no doubt everyone in National City will know,” Lena replied, sighing quietly, though it was fine if the media would jump onto that fact. “Shall we then?”

Kara huffed out a laugh. “Who’s eager now?” she asked, poking Lena’s side.

“You may need to pinch me again,” Lena whispered, still amazed Kara was truly hers now.

“How about a kiss instead?” Kara suggested, cupping Lena’s cheeks.

Lena smiled against Kara’s lips. “We’re not going to get out of this bed anytime soon, are we?” she asked, laughing when her fiancée’s stomach rumbled. “Never mind, apparently we’re going to get up to go eat breakfast.”

“By the way,” Kara said while she got up and bent down to grab something from underneath the bed. “I know your birthday was yesterday, but I still have a gift for you,” she explained while she revealed a large wrapped present. “It’s from our children and me. Go ahead, open it.”

Lena looked at the present, which was shaped like a rectangle. She undid the bow and gently peeled the gift paper away. “Oh, Kara…,” she whispered, tearing up when a large frame was revealed.

Inside the frame was an enlarged photograph of Kara, the children and Krypto. They were all wearing a white shirt and were standing on the beach. It must have been taken some time when Lena was at work. They were all lined up from the shortest, which was Krypto, to the tallest, which was Kara.

Krypto had the letter W on his shirt, Lizzie an E, Lyra a heart symbol, Lucius the letter U, Lorraine a M, Larissa an A, Logan a M and Kara the letter A. Together lined up like that, their shirts spelled _We heart u mama_.

Lena couldn’t be happier. She had a family to call her own, a family whom loved her and she was going to marry the love of her life.

 


	25. Chapter 25

Kara and Lena both frowned when they returned to the beach house and saw three unfamiliar faces.

“Um… who are those children?” Kara asked, gesturing at the boy and girls who were glancing at Vladimir’s Ipad. She remembered how he’d said he didn’t have any friends.

“Vlad and Lily’s new friends,” Harley answered.

“Okay,” Lena said, glancing around at her children who were staring at the newcomers. “How long have they been here?”

“About ten minutes, give or take,” Lucy answered, shrugging.

“The boy is Aden,” Ivy said to Kara and Lena. “He’s twelve years old and he’s Heda’s son.”

Kara had vaguely heard of Heda before, which was some type of warrior woman who often got tangled into fights with villains in Gotham.

“His other mother dropped the kids off,” Leslie said. “Clarke’s a fun blonde. Not the best fighter though,” she said, smirking.

“The little girl with the glasses is Emily Nygma,” Ivy continued, gesturing at the little girl with black hair and thin glasses. “She’s seven.”

“Nygma?” Kara asked, frowning. “As in the Riddler’s daughter?” she asked, surprised.

“Yup, that’s the one,” Harley confirmed. “Riddly didley got himself caught again, so we’re babysitting Emily.”

“Daddy doesn’t like it when you call him that,” Emily said to Harley.

“Well he ain’t here, sweetcheeks,” Harley replied, smiling.

Emily pouted and looked away.

“Hey,” Lucius whispered to Emily, slowly approaching her. “I like your glasses.”

Emily looked up at Lucius and smiled. “I like yours, too.”

“And lastly we have Kitrina,” Ivy said, resting a hand on the oldest girl’s shoulder. “Sweet little Kitty.”

“Hands off,” Kitty grumbled. She pushed Ivy and revealed claws from her knuckles.

“Awesome,” Logan whispered, staring at Kitty.

“She’s thirteen and a bit snippy,” Ivy said to Kara and Lena, chuckling.

“Selina’s daughter is mostly harmless though,” Leslie said. “But just like Catwoman, Catgirl dares to claw.”

“Comforting,” Lena said flatly. Three new faces weren’t what she liked to subject her children to.

“I have a dirt bike,” Logan said to Kitty, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Whatever, dude,” Kitty replied, shrugging, retracting her claws. “I don’t accept rides, but if you give me the keys I’d like to take it for a spin myself.”

“Sure, I guess,” Logan said, frowning slightly. He fished his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Kitty. “Are you an alien?”

“No,” Kitty answered, snorting. “Cool scar by the way, dude,” she said, punching his shoulder with her fist.

Leslie laughed while Kitty bounced to go for a ride, while Logan stood there, frowning. “Women are complicated beings, kid,” she said, patting Logan’s back. “I’d say she likes you though.”

“Likes me?” Logan asked, making a face. “She punched me.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t punch you in the face,” Leslie replied. “A shoulder punch like that is a good thing, although if you like her you should take it easy, she doesn’t like saps.”

“Pfft, I don’t like her,” Logan mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “Love is gross.”

“Love, hm?”

“Stop teasing my son, Livewire,” Kara said to Leslie, sighing.

“Awe, Logan has his first crush,” Harley said, ruffling Logan’s hair, who swatted her hands away. “If ya like her, ya should put a ring on her, like them,” she said, gesturing at Kara and Lena.

Lena’s cheeks reddened when all of the attention gravitated towards Kara and her.

“Way to go, little Danvers,” Maggie commented, although she wished they’d have gotten together sooner rather than taking six months, because she lost the bet with her wife and Lucy.

“Oh my god, Kara, did you propose?” Alex asked, gasping. That wasn’t what she meant her sister should have done, but okay, wow.

“You take go big or go home quite literally,” Lucy said to Kara when she nodded.

“Congratulations to the both of you,” Astra said, engulfing Kara and Lena into a hug.

Logan only seemed to have eyes for Kitty when she returned from her spin. “She likes my scar,” he whispered to Leslie, smiling as he touched his scar.

“Well, kid, some chicks dig that kind of stuff,” Leslie replied, nudging his side. “You so like her.”

“Shut up,” Logan muttered. “I thought my scar deformed me.”

“That’s just delusional, scars don’t deform people, they’re a part of our life, of our growth,” Leslie said, shaking her head. “You went through hell and you lived, kid. You’re not deformed, you’re a survivor.”

“Hey,” Kara whispered to Leslie a moment later, pulling her aside while she was about to get some water. “I appreciate what you said to my son. You’re not always the kindest person around, but you’re kind to him, so thank you.”

“Don’t get soft on me, blondie,” Leslie replied, grinning. “Logan’s a great kid, if I could pick a son I’d pick him.”

“I believe you are his fairy godmother,” Lena said to Leslie with a teasing tone.

“Don’t make me fry you, Luthor,” Leslie warned.

Kara cleared her throat to gather everyone’s attention. “Lena and I brought something home with us for the children,” she announced. “Not gifts,” she clarified quickly. “Bathing suits, so we can go swimming.”

“We don’t know how to swim, mommy,” Lucius replied, frowning.

“Swim in… in the ocean?” Lyra asked, gulping. “I’ll drown,” she whimpered, cowering behind Lilith.

“Your mommy and I would never allow any of you to drown, sweetheart,” Lena said to Lyra. “We are going to teach you how to swim.”

“It’s almost summer. It’s the perfect time to swim,” Kara said, smiling while she unzipped a bag to reveal all the bathing suits she bought with Lena. “Maybe Harley and Ivy would like to help?” she suggested, glancing expectantly at Harley and Ivy, knowing Leslie wouldn’t want to go for a dip.

Lena agreed with Kara that Harley and Ivy might as well help, given they were responsible for the five extra children they’d have to keep an eye on. “But we encourage a gentle approach,” she said thoughtfully, to avoid having Harley and Ivy simply tossing the children into the water.

“There are some swimming bands and floatables in this suitcase,” Kara said, pouring everything out onto the floor. “You can choose what you like,” she said to the children.

“Mommy, I’m scared,” Lyra whimpered, clamping on to Kara’s leg.

“I’ll hold your hand, sweetheart,” Kara promised, smiling down at Lyra.

“I’ll hold your other hand,” Lilith said to Lyra, smiling. “The water is not scary.”

“How about we assign an adult to each child?” Alex suggested in the midst of the chaos while the children selected a bathing suit. “There are nine adults, eight of us who don’t mind going in the water, and there are twelve children.”

“I like your idea,” Lena replied, nodding. “Perhaps we should allow the children to choose,” she suggested, thinking that would be better for her children to feel comfortable.

“Yeah,” Maggie agreed. “Two children tops for one adult though.”

“I choose you,” Lorraine said to Maggie, grasping her hand.

“I’m lucky, I was hoping you’d choose me,” Maggie replied, smiling as she combed through Lorraine’s hair, who smiled back at her.

Lucius bit his bottom lip and glanced around between Kara, Lena, Lucy and Astra. “Emily and I choose Astra,” he said, swinging his arm back and forth while he held Emily’s hand.

“Aww, Lee, look,” Kara cooed in a whisper, nudging Lena to look at their youngest son. “Isn’t he adorable?”

Lena smiled and nodded. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” she whispered, squeezing Kara’s hand.

“Lily and I choose mommy,” Lyra said, staying close to Kara.

“I love,” Lizzie giggled, wrapping her arms around Lena’s legs.

Larissa quickly chose Lena as well, before someone else could.

“I’m feeling a bit sad here,” Alex said, placing her hands on her hips.

“Same,” Lucy agreed, sighing. “I thought I was more popular with these kids.”

“You’re all weird,” Kitty commented, scrunching up her nose. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Neither do I,” Logan said, raising his chin. “I am thirteen. I am not a child anymore.”

“Pardon, young man,” Lena said to Logan. “But you’re my son and I say you’re not going for a swim without supervision.”

“Your mother is right,” Kara agreed. “We need to teach you how to swim first.”

“Fine,” Logan sighed. “I choose Lucy.”

“Aha, one point for me,” Lucy said. “Up top,” she said to Logan holding her hand out for a high five. “Come on. Don’t leave me hanging, kiddo.”

Logan groaned when Kitty snickered as he gave Lucy a high five.

Alex ended up only having to look out for her own daughter, although she’d keep an eye on the other children regardless, just in case.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lyra’s scream had everyone wince the second water touched her feet.

“Okay, we’ll stay here for a little bit,” Kara whispered to Lyra, sitting down on the sand in front of the water. “Maybe Lily can show you the water is not scary.”

Lilith smiled and dove into the water, resurfacing moments later. “It’s fun, Lyra,” she said, splashing some water her way.

“Hey, no splashing,” Lyra replied, pouting.

“The sea is a bit like a bathtub, only larger,” Kara said, and deeper, but that wouldn’t be the best thing to say. “You can move around in it more than you can in a tub.”

Lyra rested her chin on her knees and looked at Lizzie, who was giggling in Lena’s arms, while Larissa was trying to keep her head above the water. “Lizzie likes everything,” she mumbled. “She doesn’t know how scary things can be.”

Kara wished her daughter hadn’t been through so much. When she’d been Lyra’s age, she used to be a happy smiling child, like Lizzie was. It wasn’t fair for a six year old to know how scary the world could be, to even be scared of the sea. “Learning how to swim takes time, but once you know how to swim, you’ll never forget it. I know you’re afraid to drown, but I’m never going to let anything bad happen to you, not in a million years.”

“That’s a lot of years,” Lyra replied, her eyebrows knitting together. “Are we immortal, mommy?”

Kara chuckled and pulled her daughter closer, holding her in her arms. “No, sweetie, we’re not immortal,” she answered, kissing the top of Lyra’s head. “But we do live longer than humans. We can become two-hundred years old.”

Lyra tilted her head, a crinkle appearing between her eyebrows. “Mama, Auntie Alex, Auntie Maggie, Auntie Lucy and Cousin Jamie are human,” she whispered, pouting. “Are they going to die?”

Kara knew her aunt, her children and she would outlive the others, but that day wasn’t going to come anytime soon and she didn’t want to ponder about that yet. “Not anytime soon, baby girl,” she answered, hugging her daughter a bit tighter.

Death wasn’t a stranger to any of her children, not after everything they had been through, but she didn’t want them to think about such heavy topics too much. It was a burden her children shouldn’t have to be carrying. She could only hope the humans in their family would live as long as possible and remain healthy. She hoped it would take at least fifty years are so before family members would begin to die.

Lena got out of the water with Lizzie and Larissa for a moment, because they were hungry and wanted a snack. She wrung her hair out and smiled at Kara. “Everything okay?” she asked, concern taking over when she saw how sad her fiancée and Lyra looked.

“Yes, we were just talking about something for a bit,” Kara answered with a small smile. “Our daughter realizes humans live a shorter life than Kryptonians,” she explained, sighing.

“Oh,” Lena whispered, crouching down to hug Kara and Lyra. “I assure you I plan to become a hundred years old so I can get a hundred birthday kisses and hugs.”

“All the hugs and kisses,” Lyra said, smiling at Lena.

“Lots and lots of hugs and kisses,” Lena replied, chuckling as she launched a hug and kiss attack onto Lyra, who giggled and squirmed. “I am the love bug,” she said, careful not to say monster. “Buzz, buzz, buzz, accept my hugs and kisses.”

Kara laughed and fell onto the sand, resting her hand on her stomach. “You’re everything, Lee,” she said, happy she’d be able to call Lena her wife for real soon.

“I love,” Lizzie said, abandoning her snack to hug Lena. “Hugs and kisses for Lizzie, too.”

 


	26. Chapter 26

Lena gave her driver an apologetic look when after an hour her children still hadn’t gotten in the limousine. Why did she even think any of this would have gone smoothly? She thought surprising them wouldn’t be a bad idea and it had mostly been Kara’s idea, but apparently it was tough to get their children on board.

“It’s going to be a fun surprise,” Alex assured her nieces and nephews with a smile.

Lyra pouted and stayed close to Logan. “Where is mommy?” she asked, looking around.

“Mommy is going to meet with us when we arrive,” Lena answered, sticking her pinkie out. “I promise, sweetie,” she said, smiling warmly.

“Where is Aunt Astra?” Lucius asked, fixing his glasses on his nose. “And Auntie Lucy?”

“They will be meeting with us when we arrive as well,” Lena answered, given Kara and Astra had flown away about two hours ago with Lucy.

“Everything is going to be okay,” Maggie said, sighing when Jamie was the only one who’d gotten into the limousine so far.

Lena made a mental note her children weren’t that fond of surprises that took place away from the beach house. Her children still struggled to portray trust, but she knew it was a work in progress. “Please get inside of the limousine,” she said, with a little urgency.

Lizzie sniffled and strutted forward. “Are you going to take us away?” she asked Lena.

“No, baby, I would never,” Lena answered, lifting Lizzie up. “I love you all so very much and tonight we’ll come back to our house,” she promised.

Twenty minutes later, the children had gotten into the limousine.

“I’ve seen this road before,” Logan said, peering out of the window during their drive.

“You have a very good memory, Logan,” Lena appraised.

“Are you taking us back to the facility, mama?” Larissa asked, flinching.

“No, sweetie, never,” Lena answered, feeling her heart ache they’d even think she’d do that. “We’re going to the DEO,” she revealed, not to spoil the surprise, but to ease their fear. “The place where your mommy and I took you before we went home,” she clarified.

“Where the grumpy clown lives?” Lorraine asked.

Alex snorted. “Grumpy clown,” she whispered, smiling. “J’onn doesn’t live there, but he does spend a lot of time there.”

“He was bad at juggling,” Lucius said, nodding his head.

“I liked it when we threw water balloons at him,” Lyra said, giggling. “He didn’t though,” she added with a false pout.

Logan chuckled. “Do not think of throwing those balloons at me,” he said, mimicking J’onn’s voice. “I saw that, young man.”

Lena smiled as the other children all giggled, relieved they didn’t seem scared anymore. Hearing them talk freely was a delight and she loved getting to know their unique personalities.

“When we arrive at the DEO, don’t touch anything,” Alex warned gently, knowing J’onn would lose his mind if they’d run around uncontrolled.

“Okay, Auntie Alex,” Lorraine replied. “We won’t make the grumpy man mad.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kara smiled while she led her family into a room J’onn had allowed her to use. It was the room that was the largest and had a dome-shaped ceiling, from which the sky could be seen, given it was made out of plexiglass.

“Children, please suit up,” Astra said, pointing at a rack where various helmets were stacked.

Lena knew the children couldn’t really get hurt if they’d fall, though the helmets made her feel more at ease about it all. “I’ll help to put them on,” she said, grasping a small one for Lizzie.

“Speaking of suiting up,” Winn said while he walked in. “I may have designed suits for the children,” he announced with pride.

“What are you, Edna Mode?” Maggie asked Winn, snickering.

“I have you know I happen to make great suits,” Winn replied, huffing.

“You made suits for my children without informing me?” Kara asked Winn, putting her hands on her hips.

“Kara has a point,” Lena agreed, giving Winn a stern look. “As their parents, this should have been discussed with us.”

“I uh, what suits?” Winn asked, laughing nervously. “I’ve never seen any suits,” he said, walking backwards out of the room. “Another time? No? Okay…”

“I want my suit,” Logan said, speaking up.

“Logan, darling, you’re too young to do what your mother does,” Lena said, sighing.

“Kitty has her own suit and she’s my age,” Logan pointed out. “I want my suit,” he repeated.

Lena raised an eyebrow, surprised Logan wasn’t obeying her.

“Mama said no,” Kara said to Logan, resting her hand at the small of Lena’s back.

“I’m not going to use it to be… I don’t know, Superboy,” Logan scoffed. “I just want a suit,” he said, sighing.

Alex, Maggie and Lucy wisely didn’t say anything, avoiding interfering.

“Perhaps there is no harm to let him have a suit if he only wears it indoors,” Astra reasoned with Kara and Lena.

“Yes, thank you,” Logan agreed. “I thought Leslie was the only adult who understood me,” he murmured.

Lena hated how much she was failing at creating a bond with Logan and it didn’t help that he was a teenager, who apparently had decided to be rebellious. “Alright, you can have a suit, but only to wear it indoors,” she relented.

“It’s okay,” Kara whispered in Lena’s ear, rubbing her back. “I love you.”

Lena slowly breathed out and grasped Kara’s hand. “I love you, too,” she whispered, smiling faintly.

Kara waited patiently for all of her children to get ready. She wasn’t pleased Winn went behind her back to make suits for her children, although she had to admit Lizzie looked beyond adorable with that little cape attached to her suit.

Lena went to sit on the bench with Alex, Maggie, Lucy and Jamie.

“Children,” Kara said whilst clapping her hands together. She winced slightly in regret, but her children didn’t flinch. “Today Astra and I are going to teach you how to fly,” she announced, smiling when their eyes sparkled while they began to whisper about flying.

“Summersaults?” Lyra asked, beaming.

Kara chuckled. “Once you get good at flying, yes,” she answered, not wanting them to start doing crazy things. “Okay, picture you are a cloud, weightless,” she said, moving her hands as she took a deep breath. “Feel yourself floating,” she continued, hovering an inch above the floor.

“Look up at the ceiling,” Astra said, tilting her head back. “Reach for it.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “The ceiling?” she whispered to Alex, Maggie and Lucy, slightly panicked.

“They’ll be fine,” Alex replied to Lena, whispering. “I think this is safer than letting them leap off of buildings.”

“Yeah,” Lucy quietly chimed in. “Star had suggested letting them leap off of a building. She said they’d fly anyways.”

“I do not see how that is supposed to sound comforting,” Lena whispered, sighing.

“Weightlessness,” Kara said to her children. “Reach within yourself, be a cloud.”

Lucius glanced at Astra and stretched a hand out towards the ceiling, gasping when his feet left the floor. “Aunt Astra, look,” he said, squealing while he began to float half a foot above the floor.

“Well done, Lucius,” Astra replied, smiling.

Logan shot up, nearly shattering through the glass of the dome. He smiled down at the others as he touched the glass. He flew back down and tapped Larissa on her shoulder. “Tag, you’re it,” he said, flying up again.

Larissa quickly tapped Lorraine’s shoulder and flew up.

“Not fair,” Jamie pouted when Lorraine tapped her shoulder. “I can’t fl – Auntie Kara,” she said, smiling when Kara lifted her up.

“Who are we going to tag?” Kara asked Jamie, flying around with her niece.

“Lena,” Jamie answered, giggling.

Kara smiled and put Jamie down so she could tag Lena on the bench.

“Oh, no you didn’t,” Lena said, gasping. “That does it,” she said, walking towards the exit. “I’m going to get a jetpack and then you’ll all be toast.”

“I’m down,” Maggie said, hollering after Lena to get a jetpack as well.

“Count us in,” Lucy said, grasping Alex’s wrist. “We’re not going to sit on the bench like losers.”

“Watch your mouth, little Lane,” Alex replied, smiling.

“Hey, no cheating,” Lyra objected.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, sweetie,” Lena said to Lyra. “Tag, you’re it,” she said as she touched her daughter’s shoulder.

Lyra smiled and quickly tagged Lizzie.

Lizzie tried to fly up and moved her arms as if she was trying to swim in the air.

“You can do it, baby girl,” Kara said to Lizzie. “Fly to mommy.”

“If she reaches you, you’re it,” Lucius said to Kara.

“Not if I keep flying further away I won’t,” Kara replied, chuckling.

“How kind of you to do that to your three year old,” Astra said dryly to Kara. “She can fly to me instead.”

“Um no, because you’d just hold her and then the game would be over,” Kara replied knowingly.

“I’m ready,” Lena said when she got back with a jetpack.

Several minutes later, they were all soaring around the room, laughing and tagging each other.

“What is going on in here?” J’onn asked, his voice booming through the room. “This is not a play garden.”

“This is not a play garden,” Logan mimicked in a whisper, which had his siblings cackling.

“Oh Rao, our son is sassy,” Kara whispered to Lena.

Lena nodded and she had a feeling she knew who Logan was getting that kind of behavior from. It was funny sometimes, but it could also border on being naughty. “Let’s all settle down and on our way home we can get some ice cream,” she said, knowing that type of bribery would work well on her children.

“Mommy, can Lily sleep over tonight?” Lyra asked, batting her eyelashes at Kara.

“And Lily’s friends,” Lucius added. “Please, mommy?”

Kara shared a look with Lena, waiting until she nodded. “Okay, I’ll contact Lily’s mothers,” she answered, pressing a kiss to her fiancée’s cheeks. “I’ll see you soon?”

Lena grasped Kara’s shirt and pulled her into a brief kiss. “Don’t stay in Gotham longer than necessary,” she whispered, tracing her finger down Kara’s cheek.

“I shall join you on your trip, little one,” Astra said to Kara, nodding once at her wife and at Lena.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Krypto waggled his tail and jumped up against Lilith, barking once when she petted him.

“He missed you, too,” Lyra said to Lilith, running up to her friend. “But I missed you most.”

Lilith smiled back. “I missed you most, too.”

“Larissa, my sweets,” Vladimir said, making a light bow in front of Larissa.

“Get over yourself, Vlad,” Kitty said, grinning as she gave Vladimir a push. “Hey, dude, what’s up?” she asked Logan.

Logan’s eyes widened and he pointed his finger at himself.

“Yes, you, scarface,” Kitty confirmed.

“Be nice, Kitty,” Leslie warned.

“It’s fine,” Logan cut in. “I think it’s kind of cool,” he said, smiling at Kitty.

“I was going to walk the dogs with my Auntie Maggie,” Lorraine said to Emily and Aden. “Do you want to come with me?”

“Having five children over for a sleepover makes it a little crowded in here,” Lucy commented to the other adults. “Or well, more crowded than usual.”

“You’re staying?” Maggie asked Leslie. “We don’t even have a spare bed.”

“I’ll crash on the couch,” Leslie answered, shrugging. “Kara said it wouldn’t be a problem and I couldn’t possibly leave y’all to babysit five more children than usual.”

“Our circle of family and friends continues to expand,” Lena whispered to Kara, smiling as she brushed her thumb over her fiancée’s hand. “I’m happy our children are happy.”

Kara glanced around at the children, who were all playing and chattering. “I’m happy our family is happy, too,” she whispered, squeezing Lena’s hand lightly. “Seven months ago, I couldn’t have even dreamed of something like this.”

“It really is a dream,” Lena agreed. “I’m happy I get to live it with you, El.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“My little pony, my sweet little pony,” Lizzie hummed joyfully, brushing her pony’s manes while they galloped over the beach. “My mommies are getting married today, Buttercup,” she babbled, smiling. “Mommy is the pretty lady in the tux and mama is the pretty lady in the white dress.”

Lyra walked over the red carpet, wearing a pink dress. She held a flower basket and threw rose petals onto the carpet, smiling at Ivy who created a thicker path of flowers in front of her to walk on.

“This dress is itchy,” Kitty said, grumbling.

“It looks good on you, Kitty,” Logan said with a smile.

“Nobody asked you, Scarface,” Kitty replied, huffing. “Pink isn’t my color.”

“Yet you’re wearing it,” Logan countered, smiling more when Kitty smiled just barely. “If I may?” he asked, holding his hand out.

“This is lame,” Kitty answered, sighing as she placed her hand in Logan’s. “Your mothers are really cheesy.”

“I know, it’s all kinds of gross,” Logan agreed, chuckling. “Save a dance for me later so I didn’t learn to dance for nought?”

“Do I look like Barbie to you?” Kitty grumbled, muttering under her breath.

Logan winked at Kitty. “Would you scratch me if I’d say yes?” he asked in turn.

“You’re going too slow, Logan,” Larissa said, giving her brother a light push in his back.

Vladimir awkwardly averted his eyes when Logan cut him a glare because he was holding Larissa’s hand. He crouched down for a second, picking up a flower Ivy created for him. “For you, my sweets,” he said, putting the flower in Larissa’s hair. “Your beauty is beyond compare.”

“It is okay, Logan,” Larissa whispered to her brother. “Thank you, Vlad,” she said, pecking his cheek.

“I have been blessed,” Vladimir whispered, touching a hand to his cheek.

“You can thank the gods later,” Lorraine said to Vladimir, walking behind him and waiting for him to walk on. “Hustle, boy, or I will cuff you for obstruction.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Vladimir replied with a salute, causing Larissa and Lorraine to chuckle.

Kara stood at the made-shift altar, holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She waited for her children to take their seats once they’ve walked over the red carpet. “I’m going to get married,” she whispered to her sister, who stood near her.

“I’m happy for you, Kara,” Alex replied quietly. “And it was about time.”

Kara chuckled, because that was true. She smiled when she saw Lena, who had an arm hooked with her aunt’s arm.

Lucius placed his violin under his chin and began to play a melody while Lena walked with Astra.

“Thank you for doing this for me, Astra,” Lena whispered, glad she was wearing waterproof mascara. It meant so much to her that Astra was giving her away, since she hardly had anyone else to do that. She didn’t have her older brother or her parents to do it.

“You have been as a daughter in my eyes, pure one,” Astra whispered, resting her free hand on top of Lena’s. “It is an honor to walk you down this isle.”

“Lucius is playing beautifully,” Lena whispered, moved by all of it. “Our family brings me joy and I’m happy you’re a part of it, Astra. You’ll always be welcome to stay, no matter where we move to in the future.”

Astra reached the altar with Lena and nodded at her niece, resuming her place on the front row, with the children.

Kara grasped one of Lena’s hands, needing to hold her at least a little bit. “You are a vision of beauty and more,” she said, raking her eyes down her fiancée’s dress.

“That tux does wonders for you,” Lena whispered, glancing at the tie, which would be easy to use later for when she’d kiss Kara. “I really do love seeing you in a suit.”

Kara smiled and turned a little bit with Lena to face the pastor.

Everyone fell silent when the pastor began to speak, waiting for Kara and Lena to share their vows.

“Kara, it feels surreal we’ve been best friends for more than a decade,” Lena said, smiling as she held Kara’s hands in hers. “It sounds like such a cliché, falling in love with my best friend, but I did. I hope I can make you at least half as happy as you make me feel. I’ll be there for you, no matter what the future brings. I’ll be by your side and I will support you in the decisions you make. You’re without a doubt the biggest dork I ever met, but that’s one of the reasons why I love you so much. I love you.”

Kara smiled and softly squeezed Lena’s hands. “Lena, you’re a wonderful mother to our children. I love the way you light up when our children smile or when they learn something new, and I love the passion you pour into the things you do. For many years, I was blind and had no idea just how much I love you. Making you happy makes me happy. I should have given you more than one scrapbook, because one isn’t enough to mention all the reasons why I love you.”

The world felt like a distant blur for Lena as the wedding ceremony neared its end. She smiled when they finally reached the part where she got to kiss the bride, because she’d been missing the feeling of Kara’s plaint lips.

Kara chuckled when Lena pulled her closer by grasping her tie. Wearing a tux was definitely paying off. She kissed her wife and forgot about everything else for a while.

 


	27. Chapter 27

**_Fifteen years later…_ **

 

“I’m so happy to see you again,” Lena said to her youngest son, who was twenty-three by now. “You have been in Paris for weeks and I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you, too, mother,” Lucius replied, hugging Lena. “My wife and I bear good news,” he said, smiling as he beckoned Emily closer.

Kara tried to contain her excitement. Her sensitive ears already picked up on what the news was going to be. This was the kind of news she loved to hear and she loved how it always made Lena’s eyes sparkle.

“Do tell, sweetheart,” Lena said, smiling as she sat down on the couch. Her house had gotten too big after her children began to move out, leaving only Lizzie, her eighteen year old daughter to still live with her wife and her.

“Emily is pregnant,” Lucius announced, lifting his chin. “You will be a grandmother again.”

“Congratulations,” Kara said to Lucius and Emily, while her sweet wife was too moved by tears to respond. “This is going to be our fifth grandchild,” she said to Lena, happy how their family kept expanding.

“I am happy for you both, sweetheart,” Lena said to her youngest son, trying not to tear up.

The DEO hadn’t been too keen on Logan marrying Kitty, Larissa marrying Vladimir, Lorraine marrying Aden and Lucius marrying Emily, given their other halves all originated from Gotham. The DEO came around though, for the most part. Lena had been adamant how flawed parents didn’t mean the children would be bad as well, which she was living proof of.

Emily was the Riddler’s daughter, but she was sweet to the core and wouldn’t even harm a fly. Kitty still had a bit of a snippy attitude at times and she pulled some stuff sometimes, though she never went further than teasing people. Vladimir was quite the gentleman and wasn’t taunting like his parents were. Aden was a nice young man as well, who only did good things in Gotham, not bad things.

“Another child in this family which is going to get spoiled,” Lucy said, smiling at her wife who seemed fixated on Emily, likely listening to the unborn child’s heart. She had no doubt Astra was going to be there for all of Kara and Lena’s grandchildren as much as she had been there for their children.

Lucius glanced at Jamie, more particularly at the tanned young woman next to her. “My dear cousin, I take it this is your fiancée?” he asked Jamie.

“Yes, this is my beautiful fiancée,” Jamie confirmed, smiling. “Valentina, esta es mi familia,” _(Valentina, this is my family)_ she said to her fiancée. “Lucius, this is Valentina.”

That vacation in Spain two years ago sure ended with a souvenir,” Maggie said, holding her wife’s hand while she gazed at Jamie, who couldn’t stop smiling.

“Mhmm,” Alex hummed. “Look how happy our baby girl is.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Lucius said to Valentina. “Welcome to our family or shall I say Bienvenido a nuestra familia?”

“I learn English,” Valentina replied, glancing at Jamie. “Yes?”

“Close, mi amor,” Jamie answered, resting a hand at the small of Valentina’s back.

“We can converse in any language you prefer,” Larissa said to Valentina.

“Yes, yes, you speak every language,” Jamie replied, rolling her eyes and chuckling. “It’s an unfair skill.”

“My genes made me a polyglot, yours made you gay,” Larissa teased, laughing when Jamie slapped her arm. “I love you all the same, cous.”

“Daddy, can I have another cookie?”

Logan smiled and ruffled his five year old son’s hair affectionately. “Yes, Hunter,” he answered, nodding his head at the scale of cookies. “Not with your claws,” he warned when claws appeared out of Hunter’s knuckles.

“Always keeping it up with the manners,” Kitty said to Logan, grinning as she nudged her husband’s side.

“My mothers raised me well,” Logan replied with pride. He winked at Lena who was smiling.

Anastasia and Tatiana, Larissa’s six year old twin girls, began to play on the piano together, laughing as they tried to play as fast as possible.

“Easy, my little sweets,” Vladimir said to his daughters. “You wouldn’t want to break your grandmother’s piano.”

“We’re sorry, papa,” Tatiana replied with a small pout that didn’t even look close to sincere.

“How long are you staying for?” Kara asked her oldest daughter, whom she didn’t see often.

“Only for tonight,” Larissa answered, sighing softly. “We have a lunch to attend tomorrow in Transylvania.”

Lena wasn’t too fond of some of the places her children had chosen to live, but it was their life and their choice. She had heard how Transylvania had even more villains than Gotham, which she hadn’t thought was possible, but her oldest daughter seemed happy there with her husband and children.

“Aden, Jacob and I are going back to Gotham tomorrow,” Lorraine announced. “I promised Jacob’s other grandparents we’d visit them,” she said, smiling at her two year old son. “And I have to stop by at the police station in the morning to discuss something with my team.”

“That reminds your mother and me,” Kara said, smiling at Lorraine. “Congratulations on your promotion, we’re so proud of you.”

“I knew you had it in you all along, Lori,” Maggie said to Lorraine, giving her a nod of respect.

“You’ve earned that promotion,” Alex said to Lorraine. “By the way, when you see Clarke and Lexa tomorrow, thank Lexa for helping us track down that drug dealer who was poisoning people.”

“Will do,” Lorraine replied, nodding.

“Are any of you staying longer than only for one night?” Lena asked, having missed her children.

“I could stay a bit longer,” Lyra offered. “If my best friend, Lily, can also stay.”

“Of course,” Lena replied, smiling. “You can both stay as long as you want, years even.”

Kara chuckled. “I know how you feel, Lee,” she whispered, patting her wife’s knee. “They grew up too fast.”

Lena was surprised how Lyra never became more than friends with Lilith, which made her think of how long she’d been best friends with Kara before they finally were more than that. Although even if her daughter would have been interested in Lilith, it was too late now, considering Larissa married Lilith’s brother.

“Best friend?” Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you said we’re sisters.”

“Of course we’re sisters,” Lyra replied, patting Lilith’s back. “We’re Gotham’s dynamic duo.”

Kara was partially relieved Lyra and Lilith were fighting crime together, but she was also concerned of the danger that came with it.

“I’m never going to leave National City,” Lizzie said decisively. “One day, I’m going to help people, just like you, mom,” she said to Kara.

“Never grow up, please,” Kara whispered, hugging Lizzie.

“Mo-om, I’m eighteen, stop it,” Lizzie replied, chuckling. “Okay, one quick hug.”

“Guess who met someone in Gotham,” Leslie said, smirking. “Someone met a special lady.”

“No, no,” Lyra said, shaking her head. “You’ve got it all wired,” she said to Leslie.

“She’s not wired well in her head,” Lilith snickered.

“That wasn’t very nice of ya, Lily,” Harley commented. “Ya could have done better than that,” she added, chuckling darkly.

“Want a new hairstyle?” Leslie asked Harley, letting electricity spark from her hands. “You ought to watch which side you’re on, dollface.”

“I’d say I’m sorry, but I ain’t,” Harley replied, pulling Leslie into a kiss.

“You met someone?” Lena asked Lyra, raising an eyebrow. “Who might the lucky lady be?”

“Thanks a lot, Leslie,” Lyra muttered, sighing.

“I’m curious about that as well,” Kara said, leaning back on the couch.

“Fine,” Lyra replied, sighing. “It’s Thalia, Sara Lance’s daughter.”

“I met her once,” Larissa said, frowning. “But I thought Thalia was sixteen.”

“Seventeen,” Lyra corrected. “And it’s nothing serious, just a crush.”

“You like someone who’s a year younger than me,” Lizzie said, smiling. “And I’m your little sister.”

“Don’t be an egg,” Lyra mumbled, shoving Lizzie playfully. “Thalia is very skilled with swords.”

“I heard that’s not the only thing she’s skilled with,” Lilith teased, laughing when Lyra gasped.

Lucius cleared his throat to gather his family’s attention. “I have another piano concert coming up in a few months,” he announced, revealing an envelope. “The tickets are sold out, but I already reserved one for each one of you.”

Lena would never grow tired of going to her son’s concerts. “Your mother and I look forward to it,” she said to Lucius with a smile. “And I’m sure your siblings will be present as well.”

“I always make time for my little brother,” Logan said, patting Lucius on his shoulder. “Kitty, Hunter and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“My orchestra in Transylvania will be fine without me on the day of your concert,” Larissa said to Lucius. “And I believe my girls wouldn’t mind missing practice to watch you play.”

“Uncle Lucius is the best,” Anastasia said with a broad smile. “One day, Tatiana and I will play even better.”

“Oh by the way, the grossest thing happened in Gotham last night,” Lyra said, scrunching up her nose. “A pod landed, but the only thing inside of it was a corpse and well um… this,” she said, revealing an old photograph from her pocket. “Care to explain?” she asked Kara and Lena.

Kara’s eyes went round at the sight of the picture, which was of her wife, only younger, sleeping in her arms. She remembered that picture, remembered how her aunt told her she’d taken it and taped it to the pod she used to send Lillian to the Phantom Zone while injected with a virus that would bring her to the brink of death.

“The brink, really?” Kara asked her aunt, who gazed stoically at the picture.

“Good riddance is always good riddance, little one.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's a wrap. 
> 
> What kind of story is your kryptonite?

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to write this, so I did. There might be mistakes in the Spanish parts, because I use Google translate for those. Let me know what you think. 
> 
> What can I say? Supercorp with children is my kryptonite. :)


End file.
